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	Augusta: Diocese Opposes Bill to Allow More Abuse Lawsuits Portland Press Herald [Maine] February 14, 2007 http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/070214localdispatc.html The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the American Tort Reform Association spoke out Tuesday against a bill to create a two-year window for certain victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ethan Strimling, D-Portland, and supported by advocates for victims of abuse by clergy members, would affect people who were abused before the statute of limitations was lifted. In 1999, the Legislature removed the statute of limitations for cases of child sexual abuse that occurred after 1992. The diocese and the tort reform association questioned the constitutionality of retroactively abolishing the statute of limitations. Michael Poulin, a lawyer speaking for the diocese, said there is a strong societal interest in finality and closure provided by statutes of limitations. Supporters of the bill say it would provide justice for victims who often do not disclose their abuse until middle age. Lawsuits can also alert others to the dangers a perpetrator poses, supporters say.
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