Statement regarding the Maine Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Dupuis v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland

Berman & Simmons has pursued justice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse for many years. Over the last five years, this has included work on getting the law repealing the statute of limitation passed and investigating and bringing claims against the Catholic Church for the abuse of children and the coverup of that abuse. Yesterday we learned that the Maine Supreme Court has ruled that statute of limitations for sex abuse law is unconstitutional. For us and the survivor clients we represent, the Court’s decision is deeply disappointing.

Attorney Michael Bigos who leads our Sexual Abuse Survivors Practice Group shared this statement:

We are disappointed by the Court’s decision. Of course, there is no statute of limitations on the enduring pain caused by childhood sexual abuse. These survivors deserve accountability from those who enabled child sex abuse and to receive long overdue justice.

The abuse that forms the basis for the complaints occurred as far back as 1954 in a variety of venues, mostly churches and diocesan schools. The lawsuits show that the Diocese of Portland knew about rampant sexual abuse by its priests, nuns, and teachers for decades and chose to protect these known predators instead of the children in their care.

The survivors are not done seeking justice.  Our passion to help survivors is unchanged.

Now, we pivot and focus on fraudulent concealment claims and other causes of action that could toll the statute of limitations, because we believe that for decades, the Diocese covered up known child sexual abuse, and kept enabling dozens of abusers.

We are not giving up.