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On The Record

New Maryland law will allow child sexual abuse survivors to seek justice years after the crime 

By Sheilah Kast,
Maureen Harvie
Published September 19, 2023 at 9:55 AM EDT
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signs a bill to end the state's statute of limitations for when lawsuits can be filed against institutions for child sexual abuse during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Annapolis, Md. Senate President Bill Ferguson is seated left, and House Speaker Adrienne Jones is seated right. Standing from right are Del. Luke Clippinger, Sen. Will Smith and Del. C.T. Wilson, the bill's House sponsor who is standing behind the governor. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
Brian Witte/AP
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AP
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signs a bill to end the state's statute of limitations for when lawsuits can be filed against institutions for child sexual abuse during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Annapolis, Md. Senate President Bill Ferguson is seated left, and House Speaker Adrienne Jones is seated right. Standing from right are Del. Luke Clippinger, Sen. Will Smith and Del. C.T. Wilson, the bill's House sponsor who is standing behind the governor. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)

It may take years for people who were sexually abused as children to come to grips with what happened and decide how to move forward. Until now, if they were past age 38, Maryland law ruled out suing alleged abusers. What will be the effect of new law that wipes out the statute of limitations? The Child Victims Act of 2023 goes into effect on October 1st.

We speak with Delegate C.T. Wilson, who championed this change, and Lisae Jordan, executive director and counsel at the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA).

Resources:
Find a Rape Crisis and Recovery Center near you
MCASA’s Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI)
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1-800-656-4673
Call 211 for resources in Maryland

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On The Record WYPR ProgramsOn the Recordsexual assaultMaryland General Assemblylaw
Sheilah Kast
Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
See stories by Sheilah Kast
Maureen Harvie
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.
See stories by Maureen Harvie