Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Due to work being performed on the Newark transmission tower, WCBE's Newark signal at 106.3FM may experience intermittent outages over the next few days. We apologize for any inconvenience. In the meantime, we recommend listening via our website or the WCBE App, available on iOS and Android devices.

Child Sex Abuse Victims Have 12 Years To File State Claims

A ruling from the Ohio Supreme Court says that child sex abuse victims have 12 years to file lawsuits when a state employee is the alleged perpetrator. 

The court's 4-3 decision says the 12-year rule for child sex abuse claims trumps a state law requiring any lawsuits against the state be filed within two years. At issue in the court's decision this past week was a woman's 2012 lawsuit alleging she was sexually abused by two Youth Services employees while in state detention as a teenager in 2000 and 2001. Justice Paul Pfeifer says state law is clear that the 12-year rule applied to all claims of child sex abuse. Justice Terrence O'Donnell, writing for the minority, said the two-year window should still apply.