Maryland Supreme Court Upholds Child Victims Act

Child Victims Act: A Historic Victory for Sexual Abuse Survivors

In a landmark decision that brings hope to countless survivors of childhood sexual abuse, Maryland’s Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Child Victims Act of 2023.

This momentous ruling, delivered on February 4, 2025, effectively eliminates the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits in Maryland. This opens the door for survivors to seek justice regardless of when the abuse occurred.

Breaking Down the Supreme Court’s Historic Decision

Constitutional Validity

The court’s 4-3 decision, led by Chief Justice Matthew Fader, affirmed that the Maryland General Assembly acted within its authority when passing the 2023 law.

The ruling explicitly states that the legislature can retroactively remove statute of limitations barriers that previously prevented survivors from pursuing legal action.

Justice for Survivors of Sexual Abuse

Impact on Survivors

This decision represents a significant victory for abuse survivors, providing them with:

–             The ability to file lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred

–             An opportunity to expose perpetrators and seek accountability

–             The chance to pursue justice and healing on their own timeline

Legal Implications

The Child Victims Act ruling addresses concerns about the 2017 law, which established a cutoff age of 38 for victims to file lawsuits. The court determined that this previous limitation did not create a permanent protection for defendants, allowing the 2023 law to effectively expand survivors’ rights to pursue legal action.

Maryland Supreme Court Upholds Child Victims Act

What This Means for Survivors Rights. A New Era of Justice!

The Maryland Supreme Court’s decision marks a transformative moment for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, removing all time-based barriers to seeking justice.

Whether the abuse occurred decades ago or in recent years, survivors now have the legal right to hold their abusers and responsible institutions accountable in court.

This ruling acknowledges the complex nature of trauma and the time it often takes for survivors to come forward, ensuring that their right to pursue justice is no longer constrained by arbitrary deadlines.

The Child Victims Act of Maryland recognizes that every survivor’s journey is different, and healing happens on its own timeline.

 If you or someone you know is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse in Maryland, this ruling means:

–             You now have the right to pursue legal action regardless of your current age

–             There is no time limit on when you can file a lawsuit

–             You can seek justice against both perpetrators and institutions that enabled abuse

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Types of Childhood Sexual Abuse Cases We Handle

At The Yost Legal Group, we have extensive experience representing survivors who have endured sexual abuse in various institutional settings throughout Maryland. Our dedicated legal team handles cases involving:

Juvenile Detention Centers

Our sexual abuse lawyers help people who were raped as a minor in a Maryland juvenile detention center. If a prison guard or staff member at a juvenile jail in Maryland has sexually assaulted you, please reach out for help.

Educational Settings

Our child sexual abuse lawyers pursue justice against those who failed to protect innocent lives.

  • Teachers
  • School administrators
  • Coaches
  • After-school program personnel

Youth Organizations

We handle cases involving abuse that occurred in:

  • Sports programs and Summer camps
  • Religious organizations
  • Youth groups
  • Community centers

Healthcare and Counseling Settings

Our attorneys represent survivors who experienced abuse by:

  • Medical professionals
  • Mental health counselors
  • Therapists
  • Healthcare facility staff

Children of Foster Care

Our foster care sexual abuse lawyers pursue cases against the Maryland foster care system. We fight back when employees fail to protect innocent children under their care.

Archdiocese of Washington Parishes located in Maryland

If a member of the catholic church molested you at a parish located in Maryland but run by the Washington Archdiocese, call us.

Your First Step Towards Justice. How We Support You.

At The Yost Legal Group, we understand that taking the first step toward legal action requires immense courage.

Our dedicated team of experienced childhood sexual abuse attorneys has experience handling these sensitive cases with the utmost compassion, confidentiality, and professional care.

We offer free consultations where you can share your story in a safe, supportive environment, and we’ll help you understand your legal options under this groundbreaking ruling.

With our extensive experience in handling institutional child sexual abuse cases and our commitment to fighting for survivors’ rights, we stand ready to guide you through every step of the legal process.

Contact us today at 800-YOST-LAW (800-967-8529) or text us at 1-410-659-6800 to schedule a confidential consultation and learn how we can help you pursue the justice you deserve.

At The Yost Legal Group, we understand the courage it takes to come forward. Our experienced attorneys are here to:

–             Provide confidential consultations to discuss your case

–             Guide you through the legal process with compassion and expertise

–             Help you understand your rights under this new ruling

–             Fight for the justice and compensation you deserve

Justice for Survivors of Sexual Abuse

This ruling represents a historic opportunity for victims of sexual assault to break their silence and seek accountability. Whether the abuse occurred recently or decades ago, you have the legal right to pursue justice and seek financial compensation.

If you or a loved one were sexually abused as a minor in Maryland, you have a safe place to come for help. Contact a child sexual abuse attorney for help, support, and guidance today. Your abuser can finally be held accountable.

–             Juvenile Detention Center or Juvenile City Run Program

–             Educational or After-school Program

–             Youth Organized Program Run by a City or State Agency

–             Healthcare or Counseling Setting

Contact The Yost Legal Group: If you’re ready to discuss your case, our compassionate legal team is here to help. Call us at 800-YOST-LAW (800-967-8529) for a free, confidential consultation. Your story matters; we’re here to listen and help you take the next step toward justice.

You are not alone in this journey. This ruling confirms what we’ve always believed – that survivors deserve their day in court, regardless of when the abuse occurred.

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Helping Survivors of Montrose School Child Sexual Abuse

Our client, at the young age of 13 years old, entered the corridors of Montrose School in 1987. He experienced the worst kind of betrayal and child sexual abuse within a system designed to protect vulnerable youth.

Enduring unspeakable horrors at the hands of those entrusted with his care and rehabilitation, our client’s story is not an isolated incident. It reflects pervasive neglect and misconduct within facilities governed by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS).

Today, The Yost Legal Group stands firm in its commitment to represent survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. We bring justice against those who turned their backs on innocent children and allowed such abuses to occur.

If you are a victim of child sexual abuse, contact an institutional sexual abuse lawyer at The Yost Legal Group. Our legal group is here to support and guide you through filing a claim against the state of Maryland. Our experienced attorneys work closely with survivors of sexual abuse and sex crimes.

Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) child sexual abuse claims

Seeking Justice for Survivors of Montrose School Abuse

The Montrose School was established to nurture troubled youth through rehabilitation and education. It was supposed to be a haven where the young could be redirected towards brighter futures.

However, for many individuals like our client, it became a place where nightmares were lived out daily.

Mr. Bowman, an authority figure meant to provide guidance and protection, instead preyed on our client, a vulnerable youth at Montrose. He committed sexual acts so abhorrent that they left lasting scars on many vulnerable youths.

When our client confided in Ms. Hawkins, a staff member at Montrose, about these sexual assaults, what should have been a turning point toward safety instead spiraled into another chapter of exploitation.

Ms. Hawkins abused this trust by starting her own harmful sexual relationship with our client. This worsened his trauma.

These actions show serious problems in institutions meant to protect minors. The Yost Legal Group aims to address these issues by holding these institutions accountable.

Protecting children from sexual predators must always be at the forefront of juvenile detention centers and all children’s organizations.

guards and staff sexually abused children in Maryland youth jails

Maryland Abuse Survivors, Take the First Step

We are helping survivors of Maryland who suffered abuse in an institutional environment fight back.

–             Rape in juvenile detention centers

–             Sexual abuse in schools

–             Catholic church molestation

–             Sexual abuse by teachers

–             Sexual abuse in public schools

–             Sexual abuse in hospitals

–             Rape in foster care

Your Voice Matters: Fight Against Abuse in Juvenile Detention Centers

The DJS bears responsibility in this narrative. As a child-serving agency, it has strong authority over juvenile welfare centers like Montrose School. It looks after these children’s lives, including their education, rehabilitation, safety, and well-being.

Yet beneath this umbrella of state-sanctioned control lay opportunities for child sexual abuse that went unchecked until brave survivors stepped forward.

Empowering survivors is crucial for individual healing and systemic change. Each voice raised exposes cracks in institutional armor that must be addressed to reform juvenile justice systems across Maryland—and beyond.

Were at the Montrose school in Maryland and suffered sexual abuse, contact The Yost Legal Group.

Empowering Maryland Survivors to Claim Justice

By representing child sexual abuse claims against state entities involved in these abuses alongside other government agencies complicit through negligence or active participation—The Yost Legal Group aims to seek justice.

Even though promises were made, children sent to Montrose discovered a deteriorating, overcrowded, and understaffed facility.

They were molested and exposed to a long history of abuse by both staff and other residents, leaving them deeply traumatized. Many suffer to this day from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Montrose’s institutional failures were notorious well before the Maryland State Legislature closed it in 1988.

Known as an overcrowded holding facility for juveniles, its excessive use of solitary confinement was particularly notorious.

Maryland Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Lawyers

Numerous victims allege they reported the abuse, yet facility administrators took no action. Beyond correctional officers, accusations also involve nurses, teachers, and counselors.

Some juvenile offenders in Montrose reported their abusers coerced them into sexual acts by promising extra food, phone calls, outdoor time, and other incentives. Others described facing threats of violence, solitary confinement, extended sentences, and transfers to more severe facilities.

Montrose School closed in 1988 due to severe issues, including incidents of suicide, self-harm, and both physical and sexual abuse involving staff and students.

Hundreds of Maryland youth at the Montrose School under state care suffered sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Individuals in positions of trust and authority misused their roles to commit appalling acts of abuse against youth.

Because of the new Child Victims Act, the statute of limitations for sexual assault in Maryland is removed for many. Regardless of how long ago your abuse occurred, we may be able to seek justice and compensation for you.

A Broken Jail System Leads to Years of Trauma

Maryland’s juvenile detention centers have been a breeding ground for abuse rather than rehabilitation. The very institutions meant to protect and reform troubled youth became harbors for predators exploiting vulnerable children.

These facilities were meant to be places of correction and hope. Instead, they continued cycles of victimization. This left deep psychological scars on many young people.

The impact of child molestation extends far beyond the immediate physical violations endured by victims. For many survivors, the psychological ramifications are profound and debilitating.

Trust issues become deeply ingrained, relationships suffer, and self-worth diminishes. Understandably, this has led some victims into lives defined by criminal behavior or even suicide.

Counseling services are available and accessible for those to begin processing their trauma in a safe environment.

In addition to emotional healing resources, legal recourse is pivotal in addressing past wrongs while preventing future incidents. Survivors deserve justice—a validation that what they suffered was wrong.

Justice for Montrose School Abuse Survivors – Free Legal Consultation

If you or a loved one were at the Montrose facility in Maryland and suffered sexual abuse, contact The Yost Legal Group. Our child sexual abuse lawyers will fight to hold your abusers and the failing Maryland juvenile detention system accountable.

Our sexual assault lawyers will work to seek financial compensation for the trauma and abuse you suffered under state care. We will file a lawsuit, provide legal representation to you, and explain the legal process.

If you are a sexual assault survivor and suffered molestation and child sexual abuse in a Maryland juvenile detention center, contact our law office for help and guidance. We offer a 100% free consultation.

Contact us at 1-800-967-8529 or fill out the form, and we will contact you shortly. If someone sexually victimized you, that was not your fault. We will file a child sexual abuse case on your behalf.

The Yost Legal Group Does Not Charge Anything Upfront.

Our child abuse lawyers will listen to your story and represent you without you having to pay anything in advance. We get paid after we settle your case. If there is no recovery, no legal fees or expenses are due.

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