COLUMBUS (OH)
Beacon Journal
CARRIE SPENCER
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider whether the deadline has passed to file sexual abuse lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Several lawsuits by people who said they were abused as children have accused the Roman Catholic archdiocese and Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of negligently hiring the priests, hiding the abuse and inflicting emotional distress.
Most were thrown out based on state laws setting deadlines for filing complaints over sexual abuse of a minor. The limit is one year after turning age 18 for reporting the abuse itself, two years for claiming someone failed to protect against the abuse and five years for alleging a pattern of corrupt activity.
But the 3rd Ohio District Court of Appeals in March ruled that a case should go forward against Thomas Hopp of Cincinnati. The Shelby County court agreed that the time limit should begin running from 2002, when Hopp was removed from the ministry and the victim learned the archdiocese knew of other victims.
The appeals court agreed the victim should get the chance to prove he had no reason to know the archdiocese and Pilarczyk were negligent in allowing the abuse to continue.