Wilson (D-Charles) sponsored a bill in the Maryland House that would make it easier for child sexual abuse victims to sue and seek damages in civil court. Lawmakers said that as the clergy sexual abuse scandal widens, it should be easier for victims to hold perpetrators — and the church — accountable. More than a dozen attorneys general have launched state-level criminal investigations into child sexual abuse allegations involving the church. Maryland has no statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sexual abuse, but it does for civil cases. In civil courts, child sexual abuse cases require a lower burden of proof.

Source: Washington Post March 16, 2019 21:22 UTC