OHIO
Cincinnati Enquirer
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS - A proposal to toss out the deadline for suing over past child sexual abuse has been tried in only a few states, and the constitutionality of such a move is up in the air.
The Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue over alleged abuse that happened decades ago.
The bill would extend the deadline for filing abuse claims from one year after the person who files the lawsuit turns 18 years old to 20 years after the person turns 18.
In addition, the legislation adds clergy to the list of professionals required to report suspected abuse.
Courts in California are considering constitutional challenges to that state's 2002 law.
In Illinois, a judge said that state's child abuse law couldn't be used to revive old cases.
Posted by kshaw at March 17, 2005 08:01 AM