Maryland state senator signals support for bill Catholic church lobbied against, giving hope to childhood abuse survivors

BALTIMORE — Legislation that would give childhood victims of sexual abuse a chance to sue their abusers, regardless of when it happened, has the support of a key Maryland state senator.

Sen. Will Smith, the Democratic chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, told The Baltimore Sun he would support what’s previously been known as the “Hidden Predator Act,” which would create a “look-back window,” where survivors would have two years from the act becoming law to file a lawsuit regardless of when the abuse happened.

Under existing state law, childhood sexual abuse survivors have until their 38th birthday to file a lawsuit or three years after their abuser was convicted in criminal court, whichever is later.

Regularly sponsored by Del. C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat who is a survivor of childhood abuse, the bill has been passed repeatedly by the House of Delegates only to die in Smith’s committee. Wilson said he has pre-filed the bill again this year for what will be his fourth attempt at pushing it through.

“He is the leader on this bill, but I’m looking forward to supporting him in his efforts,” Smith said of Wilson. “I am supportive of the measures that have been put forth and am looking for a path forward for it.”

Reached by phone, Wilson said he was happy to have the support of Smith, who represents Montgomery County, and hopes this will be the year the bill is passed.

“I’m trying to be done with this and would like to see this wrapped up so these survivors and these victims get their voices heard,” he said. “I think it would be very helpful.”

The bill is heavily supported by people who were abused by Catholic priests, many of whom are too old to be able to file lawsuits against the church, based on when their abuse happened.

Although the bill was not introduced in the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers in recent weeks are facing more public pressure from survivor groups to pass the bill with the possible release of the Office of the Maryland Attorney General’s report into sexual abuse and its cover-up in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore going back eight decades.

The report, which cannot be released without a judge’s permission because it relies on grand jury materials, contains the names of 158 priests and other clergy who abused more than 600 people — some of whom were young enough to be in preschool at the time.

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