The Arizona Supreme Court recently rejected claims that a 2019 law extending victims rights was unconstitutional. Arizona is one of many states that allowed victims of decades old abuse to sue those groups who failed to protect them from sexual predators. These lawsuits have primarily been filed against the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Church.
This specific appeal by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and its affiliates sought to challenge the 2019 law extending the statute of limitations and have the law declared unconstitutional. This is the first ruling directly addressing the law according to an attorney who represented victims in the cases. The victim complaints allege the group that connect youths called “littles” with adult mentors called “bigs” and then failed to properly supervise and oversee them or monitor their behavior.
Child USA is a national group that answered the complaint and they are pushing for what is referred to as “revival” laws which allow old cases to be pursued in court. Child USA noted that Arizona was one of more than 30 states enacting legislation since 2002 allowing lawsuits of this nature. A ruling against this law would have had a potentially devastating for the survivors of sexual abuse throughout Arizona. The high court considered appeal from decisions by two Maricopa County Superior Court Judges who also rejected Big Brothers Big Sisters argument that the Legislature violated its due process rights by extending the statute.
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