Maine Abuse Survivors Subject to Civil Statute of Limitations

A Maine law allowing survivors of child sexual abuse to sue for civil damages decades after the prior statute of limitations expired is unconstitutional, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled.

The ruling affirms the constitutionally protected vested right of defendants to be protected from revived litigation. “These rights are not subject to destruction, however compelling the reason for destroying the right,” Justice Catherine Connors wrote Tuesday for the 5-2 majority.

The opinion leaves survivors of child sexual abuse, who often delay disclosing their experience as a result of their trauma, with more limited avenues to pursue justice. The Maine legislature ...