For many Baltimore residents, the greatest fear is having something happen where their children are injured. Perhaps the top of this list is an incident of sexual abuse, which sends shivers down the spine of any Maryland parent.
For some, this nightmare became a reality, after a man molested multiple boys while working with youth at a church in Maryland. The man engaged in multiple acts of sex with four boys between 1985 and 1990. Prosecutors are now charging him for his conduct.
The sex acts were uncovered after a victim informed the police that he had been sexually abused by the man when he was between the ages of 12 and 20. While the victim's parents had spoken to the church pastor, the pastor tried to handle the matter internally, and no police report was ever made. Accordingly, leaders at the ministry are now facing a separate lawsuit for failing to report the sexual abuse allegations to police.
The perpetrator himself might also be held accountable in a personal injury suit based on the sexual abuse. Under such a case, some may wonder how a claim could be brought since the abuse occurred many years ago.
To be sure, in order to maintain a successful personal injury lawsuit, the person filing the complaint must comply with the statute of limitations, which mandates that a claim be brought within a certain time period. If the claim is not brought within this period, the claim is barred forever.
The time period for the statute of limitations may vary based on the type of personal injury claim. Typically, in cases involving injuries to a minor, the time period does not begin to run until the person reaches the age of 18. Accordingly, if there is a two-year statute of limitations, and a child was injured when he was 17, the child would have three years to file a lawsuit based on the injury.
