Governor Moore Signs Law Lifting Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse
(Baltimore, MD) – On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed Senate Bill 686, Maryland’s Child Victims Act (CVA). This legislation takes effect on October 1, 2023, and eliminates the statute of limitations in Maryland for survivors of child sexual abuse, no matter when the abuse occurred. We applaud Governor Moore’s decision in siding with victims of abuse.
“The law in Maryland finally has teeth. Teeth that can give accountability to the victims and protect the kids,” said attorney Jeff Anderson of Jeff Anderson & Associates.
The CVA puts a cap on liability for public entities at $890,000 and $1.5 million for private entities for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. Additionally, it removes the limit for economic damages for costs of services such as seeing a therapist or medical treatment.
Governor Moore signed the CVA following the House and Senate’s approval of the bill, which followed the release of Maryland Attorney General’s report on clergy sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The 463-page report revealed that over 150 clergy members associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children.
“It’s time. It’s time to provide accountability for the survivors. It’s time for reckoning to expose the dangers of the past and present,” said attorney Jeff Anderson. “It’s time to expose the institutions such as the catholic church and bishops that have enabled and protected offenders. We demand the archbishop release the undisclosed names of offenders and the identities of the officials who concealed the crimes.”