Court Backs New Jersey Law Giving Sex Abuse Victims More Time to Sue

A Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of a New Jersey statute that gives victims of sexual abuse more time to sue.

The 2019 law waived the statute of limitations and allowed victims to file civil suits until they are 55, or seven years after they discover they were abused.

Judge Peter Bogaard of Morris County ruled against two arguments submitted by attorneys for Delbarton School, a catholic school in Morristown, N.J. Advance Media reported. A man only identified in the suit by his initials alleges that he was sexually assaulted by former monk Richard Lott at Delbarton and that the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, which runs the school, did nothing.

Lott’s attorney, Brian Mason, said “the allegations made against my client are vehemently denied and we look forward to vindication at trial.”

The Order of St. Benedict has denied the allegations in court

Attorneys for Delabarton argued that the statute is unconstitutional and that the plaintiff should have to prove he discovered his assault within in the two years allotted before the statue.

Judge Bogaard ruled that the law is constitutional and that it should be applied to all ongoing child sexual abuse cases.