In a recent development, the Catholic Church in Maryland is calling for the state Legislature to offer equal legal treatment to victims of child sexual abuse in state-run facilities and those in private institutions.
This comes in response to a proposed bill that aims to reduce the number of civil lawsuits filed against the state for child sexual abuse cases.
Concerns Over Proposed Bill’s Impact on Abuse Victims
The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) voiced strong concerns on Thursday, highlighting that the bill would unfairly lower the damage cap for abuse victims in state institutions to $400,000, while maintaining a higher cap of $1.5 million for victims abused in private organizations.
According to the MCC, this discrepancy would exacerbate the existing inequality in how abuse victims are treated, and they argue that this is detrimental not just to victims, but to nonprofit and religious organizations as well.
The bishops of Maryland stated that the bill unfairly targets these institutions, which have long been dedicated to serving children and have established robust safeguards to prevent abuse.
Bill Seeks to Address Rising Claims Against the State
The bill, known as HB 1378, is sponsored by state Del. C.T. Wilson.
He previously led the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023, which eliminated the statute of limitations on lawsuits related to sexual abuse.
This legislation has led to an increase in claims against the state.
The Maryland bishops pointed out that this new bill further highlights the alarming truth uncovered by the 2023 law—the state of Maryland itself is now considered the largest employer of abusers in the state.
Call for Recognition of Harm Done to Vulnerable Groups
The MCC’s statement also pointed out that many of the abuse reports within state-run institutions come from young men and women of color, who are predominantly placed under the state’s care, such as in Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services.
The bishops expressed deep sorrow over the harm these young individuals have suffered, calling it “heartbreaking.”
In their plea, the church urged lawmakers to reconsider the bill, advocating for fair and equal treatment of all abuse victims, regardless of the setting in which the abuse occurred.