If you survived sexual abuse in Maryland or Rhode Island, the law may now be on your side in ways it wasn’t even a year ago. Both states have opened new doors for survivors to hold abusers and the institutions that protected them accountable in civil court, no matter how long ago the harm happened. You don’t need to have all the answers right now. You just need to know that your right to seek justice has not expired.
This is one of the most significant shifts in survivors’ rights in decades. Maryland has eliminated the civil deadline to file altogether, and Rhode Island is opening a temporary “revival window” aimed squarely at clergy abuse and other institutional cases. Below, we walk through what changed in each state, who qualifies, what a Maryland Rhode Island sex abuse claim can look like, and how to take the first step when you’re ready.
You are not alone, and none of this was your fault. Whatever you decide about a lawsuit, support is available. The national sexual assault hotline (RAINN) offers free, confidential help 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.
The short version: what survivors in both states need to know
In Maryland, there is no longer any deadline to file a civil sexual abuse claim. The Maryland Child Victims Act removed the statute of limitations entirely, so survivors can sue no matter when the abuse occurred. In Rhode Island, lawmakers have passed a two-year revival window, set to open July 1, 2026, that lets survivors sue institutions and supervisors even if their claim was previously “too old” to file.
If either of those situations sounds like it might describe you, the most important thing is to talk with a Maryland sexual abuse attorney or a Rhode Island abuse lawyer who can review your specific dates and facts. Deadlines, damage caps, and who can be sued all turn on the details, and in Rhode Island, the window does not stay open forever.
Maryland: the Child Victims Act removed the deadline for good
For most of Maryland’s history, survivors faced a narrow, painful deadline. Under the old rules, survivors generally had only until a few years after they turned 18 to come forward, long before many people are ready to name what happened to them. Trauma doesn’t run on a courthouse clock, and that old rule shut countless survivors out.
That changed with the Maryland Child Victims Act. Signed by Governor Wes Moore on April 11, 2023, and effective October 1, 2023, the law repealed the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, both going forward and retroactively. In plain terms, a statute of limitations is the legal time limit for filing a lawsuit, and Maryland erased that limit for these cases. Under the Act (codified at Md. Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings § 5-117), a survivor of any age can file a Maryland sexual abuse lawsuit against the person who abused them and against the institutions that enabled or covered up the abuse, no matter how many years have passed.
The law survived its biggest test
After the Act passed, several institutions challenged it, arguing the legislature couldn’t revive claims that had already expired. On February 3, 2025, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld the Child Victims Act in a narrow 4-3 decision, confirming that the law is constitutional and that survivors’ revived claims may proceed. That ruling gave survivors, and the thousands who have already filed, the green light to pursue accountability.
What the 2025 amendments changed
There’s an important update every survivor weighing a Maryland Child Victims Act lawsuit should understand. In April 2025, the legislature amended the law. For claims filed on or after June 1, 2025, the changes did three main things:
- Reduced the damage caps. Damages are now capped at roughly $400,000 for claims against public institutions, such as a school district or state agency, and $700,000 against private institutions, such as a church or youth organization. Claims filed before June 1, 2025, fall under the older, higher caps.
- Generally, it limits a survivor to a single claim, even if the abuse happened in more than one place or involved more than one perpetrator.
- Capped attorney’s fees in these cases.
These details matter because they affect the value and structure of a Maryland Rhode Island sex abuse settlement or verdict. They’re also exactly the kind of nuance where a knowledgeable Maryland sexual abuse lawyer earns their keep, by making sure your claim is framed correctly from the start. None of it changes the core point: in Maryland, the deadline to file is gone.
How to file a child abuse lawsuit in Maryland
Survivors often ask how to file a child abuse lawsuit in Maryland, or how to bring what’s commonly referred to as a Maryland Child Victim Act lawsuit. The path generally looks like this:
- Talk to an attorney confidentially. A first conversation costs you nothing and commits you to nothing.
- Identify the responsible parties. That may include the abuser, and often the institution, like a diocese, a school, a sports league, or a residential facility, that placed them in a position of trust or hid what they knew. The Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Boy Scouts of America have been among the most prominent institutional defendants in Maryland abuse litigation.
- Preserve what you can. Names, dates, locations, witnesses, and any records help, but you don’t need a complete file to start. Survivors rarely kept “evidence” of their own abuse, and the law doesn’t expect you to.
- File the civil complaint within the rules that apply to your case, including the current damage caps.
You won’t be navigating this alone. A Maryland sexual abuse attorney handles the legal machinery so you can focus on your life.
Rhode Island: a new revival window is opening
Rhode Island’s story is moving fast, and the timing couldn’t be more important for survivors there.
For years, Rhode Island’s civil deadline left many survivors, especially those abused decades ago by clergy, without any way to sue the institutions responsible. A 2019 reform helped. It gave survivors up to 35 years after reaching adulthood, or 7 years from when they connect their harm to the abuse, to sue the individual perpetrator, and it revived some previously expired claims against those individuals. But that 2019 law largely did not reach the institutions, the dioceses, orders, and organizations that moved abusers around and stayed silent.
That gap is what the new legislation is designed to close.
What the Rhode Island revival window does
In 2026, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee in the House and Sen. Mark McKenney in the Senate, creating a temporary “revival window.” After clearing both chambers, the bill headed to Governor Dan McKee, who signaled his support. The window is scheduled to open on July 1, 2026, and close on June 30, 2028.
Here’s why it’s a breakthrough. During this two-year window, eligible survivors can bring a Rhode Island sexual abuse lawsuit against institutions and supervisors that enabled or concealed abuse, even if the Rhode Island sexual abuse statute of limitations on that claim expired long ago. The window builds on the 2019 framework but extends accountability to the organizations, not just the people who committed the abuse.
The flip side of “temporary” is urgency. Once the window closes on June 30, 2028, claims that were previously time-barred may be barred again, potentially for good. If you think you may have a Rhode Island claim, the window is a use-it-or-lose-it opportunity, so survivors are encouraged to speak with a lawyer well before the deadline.
The Attorney General's report that drove the change
The revival window didn’t appear out of nowhere. On March 4, 2026, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha released a roughly 300-page report capping a six-year investigation into the Diocese of Providence. The report concluded that the diocese followed what the Attorney General called a “well-worn pattern” of protecting its reputation over the safety of children, failing to report abuse, failing to investigate, and shuffling accused priests to new parishes where they could harm more children.
The findings were staggering, and they’re central to many Maryland and Rhode Island sexual abuse discussions because they show how institutional cover-ups crossed state and decade lines. The report became the factual basis lawmakers cited when they passed the revival window.
Who can be held accountable, and what a claim is worth
Survivors often assume the only person they can sue is the individual who hurt them. In many cases, the institution shares responsibility, and that’s frequently where meaningful accountability and compensation come from.
Depending on the facts, the parties named in a Maryland or Rhode Island abuse claim may include:
- Religious institutions, like dioceses, parishes, and religious orders, including the Diocese of Providence and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
- Schools and school districts, public and private, including boarding and residential schools.
- Youth organizations, such as scouting groups, sports leagues, and camps.
- Residential and juvenile facilities, group homes, and detention centers.
- Employers and supervisors who ignored complaints or failed to act on warning signs.
On the question of value, it’s impossible, and against the rules of ethical practice, to promise any specific number. A Maryland Rhode Island sex abuse settlement depends on the facts of the case, the institutions involved, the strength of the evidence, and the damage caps that apply (remember Maryland’s reduced caps for claims filed after June 1, 2025). What we can say is that survivors who come forward may be able to recover compensation for therapy and medical care, lost income and earning capacity, and the profound emotional harm they’ve carried. A seasoned Maryland sexual abuse lawyer or Rhode Island abuse attorney can give you a realistic picture once they understand your situation.
How an attorney helps, and why "no fee unless we win" matters
Coming forward is an act of courage, not a transaction. A trauma-informed legal team’s job is to carry the weight of the process so you don’t have to. That means investigating, identifying every responsible party, filing within the right deadlines and caps, and standing between you and the institutions and their insurers.
It should also cost you nothing up front. Reputable abuse firms, including our team, work on a contingency basis, which means there are no fees unless we recover for you. The institution that failed you has lawyers. You deserve someone fully in your corner, too. That principle is the heart of our promise at EOL.law: Justice For All.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to file a claim under Rhode Island's revival window?
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse whose claims against an institution had previously expired are the core group the window is designed for. It reopens the courthouse to people abused as children in settings where an institution or supervisor allegedly enabled or covered up the abuse, even if the old deadline passed years or decades ago. Because eligibility depends on your specific dates and facts, the safest step is to have a confidential review with a Rhode Island abuse attorney before the window closes on June 30, 2028.
What institutions can be sued during the Rhode Island revival window?
Institutions and supervisors who enabled or concealed child sexual abuse can be sued during the window. That includes religious organizations like the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, as well as schools, youth and sports organizations, camps, residential facilities, and other entities responsible for protecting children in their care. The window’s central purpose is to reach the organizations that shielded abusers, not just the individuals who committed the abuse.
How many priests were identified in the Rhode Island AG clergy abuse report?
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report identified 75 credibly accused clergy who allegedly abused more than 300 victims between 1950 and 2011. Released March 4, 2026, by Attorney General Peter Neronha, the report broke that figure down into 61 diocesan priests and deacons, 13 religious order members, and one extern priest, and it resulted in criminal charges against four current and former priests. It followed a six-year investigation of records from the Diocese of Providence.
Can I sue the Diocese of Providence for clergy sexual abuse in Rhode Island?
In many cases, yes, and the new revival window is specifically intended to make that possible. The legislation allows previously time-barred claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence to be revived during the window that opens on July 1, 2026. Whether your individual claim qualifies depends on the facts, so a lawyer should review your case to confirm eligibility and identify every responsible party.
Can I file anonymously in a Rhode Island sexual abuse lawsuit?
Often, yes. Many survivors file under a pseudonym such as “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” to protect their privacy. Courts in these sensitive cases frequently allow survivors to proceed anonymously, though this generally requires the court’s permission and is decided on a case-by-case basis. Your attorney can request anonymity on your behalf and explain how your privacy will be protected throughout the process.
What should I do first if I think I have a Rhode Island sexual abuse claim?
Talk to a trauma-informed abuse attorney as soon as you can. The consultation is free and confidential. Because Rhode Island’s revival window is temporary, acting early protects your right to file and gives your legal team time to investigate, locate records and witnesses, and identify the responsible institutions before evidence is lost. You don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need to make one call.
You decide when you're ready, and we'll be here
There’s no “right” amount of time to wait, and there’s no shame in coming forward now, even if the abuse happened long ago. What’s changed is that the law in Maryland and Rhode Island has finally caught up to what survivors have always known: justice should not have an expiration date.
If you were harmed in Maryland or Rhode Island and you’re wondering whether you have a case, let’s talk. Our consultations are always free and confidential, and you pay nothing unless we win. You deserve to understand your options, on your timeline, with someone who actually listens.
