VIRGINIA
Washington Post
By Caryle Murphy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 29, 2005; Page B04
Two Virginia Circuit Court judges have ruled that victims of child sexual abuse cannot sue the employers of their abusers when the victims file civil lawsuits years later as adults.
The June 8 rulings came in two separate cases in Richmond and Norfolk and were victories for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, a defendant in both lawsuits.
Practically speaking, the rulings mean that churches, schools, corporations and other institutions cannot be held financially liable for abuse by an employee when a victim seeks damages years later. The judges cited a 1994 state constitutional amendment in issuing their opinions, the plaintiffs' attorneys said.
"Unless the individual perpetrator has significant assets, [abuse victims] have no realistic expectation of being compensated," said James C. Lewis, an attorney for the plaintiff in the Norfolk case.