Current Massachusetts law permits abuse victims to file lawsuits for 35 years after the time of the abuse. A state lawmaker who is an abuse survivor has proposed lifting the statute of limitations altogether.
The legislative changes currently proposed and under consideration would jeopardize our ability to continue to (assist victims) and would make it difficult to sustain the many works of mercy the church is committed to through social justice and support for the neediest,” the Archdiocese of Boston said in a statement.