MD Supreme Court - Upholds Child Victims Act

[James Dold]

Good morning all, 

Yesterday the Maryland Supreme Court issued a ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Child Victims Act which retroactively extended the statute of limitations for the filing of civil lawsuits against people who sexually abused children and the institutions that enabled them. 

This was significant for our movement as it allows several people, who were sexually abused as children by staff in juvenile detention facilities, to move forward with their civil claims against the staff abused them and government institutions that hired them. 

HRFK filed an Amicus Brief on behalf of several survivors last summer which folks can read here: 

https://humanrightsforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/Amicus-Brief-Child-Victim-Act-e-filed.pdf

One point of emphasis is the importance of our movement building bridges with our friends in the victim advocacy space. As we know, nearly all of our kids were victims long before they committed offenses. And most of them experience further victimize once inside the system, which is why this particular law was so important. 

You can learn more about the decision in local media coverage: 

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/maryland-child-victims-act-of-2023-supreme-court-upholds-law/63663386

James

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James L. Dold, J.D.

CEO & Founder 

Human Rights for Kids

1250 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 700 (PMB 5126)

Washington, DC 20036

Email: jd...@humanrightsforkids.org

Phone: ‪(202) 573-7758

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