The state of Maine has lifted a legal barrier so that survivors of child sexual abuse can bring civil lawsuits.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills enacted a law allowing victims to file lawsuits based on older cases since a previous law removed the statute of limitations retroactively.
Attorney Michael Bigos says he has to turn away victims. He was in favor of the passage of the new law. His hope is that survivors that had been turned away in the past can now seek justice.
Those statutes of limitations were eliminated in Maine in 2000, but not retroactively, so victims whose claims had run out could still not file.
In the past, survivors who suffered abuse before 1987 generally couldn't sue.
Maine Rep. Lori Gramlich, a child sexual abuse survivor, and social worker sponsored the bill. She said it provides an opportunity for others to be heard.
According to Gramlich, the issue is not about suing someone for considerable amounts of money, but rather about obtaining justice.
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