Rhode Island Child Sex Abuse Lawyer: How the New Revival Window Reopens Time-Barred Claims.
If you were sexually abused as a child in Rhode Island and were told years ago that it was “too late” to do anything about it, the law has changed — and a Rhode Island child sex abuse lawyer can now help you act. On June 11, 2026, Governor Dan McKee signed legislation that reopens the courthouse doors for survivors whose claims had expired under the old statute of limitations. For a limited time, you may be able to hold the institutions that enabled or concealed your abuse accountable in civil court.
This is one of the most significant changes to survivor rights in Rhode Island history, but it comes with a hard deadline. Here is what the new law does, who it helps, and what to do if you were harmed
What the New Rhode Island Law Actually Changes
The legislation (H-7200a / S-2616a) does two things that matter to survivors.
First, it amends Rhode Island’s statute of limitations for claims arising from the sexual abuse of a child. Second — and most importantly for people whose cases were previously dismissed or never filed — it creates a two-year revival window that allows survivors to bring otherwise time-barred civil claims against the institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up that abuse.
The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026, and the revival window runs through June 30, 2028. After that window closes, previously expired claims may be barred again — potentially for good. That is why understanding your options now, rather than later, is so important.
It is worth being precise about what this window targets. The revival provision is aimed at institutions and supervisors — organizations that ignored complaints, transferred known abusers to new locations, or chose to protect their own reputation over the safety of children. As the bill’s sponsors made clear, the goal is to extend to negligent institutions the same civil accountability the law has long applied to individual perpetrators.
Why Rhode Island Passed This Law Now
For years, many Rhode Island survivors of childhood sexual abuse ran into the same wall: by the time they were emotionally able to come forward, the legal clock had already run out. Trauma does not operate on a courtroom schedule. Survivors frequently need decades before they can name what happened, connect it to the harm they carry, and pursue justice.
The new law reflects a growing recognition — in Rhode Island and across the country — that rigid filing deadlines were shielding the wrong people. Representative Carol Hagan McEntee and Senator Mark McKenney championed the measure, and at the signing ceremony survivors stood alongside the Governor to mark the moment. Senator McKenney pointed directly to the Attorney General’s report on abuses, which described an institution “more interested in protecting its reputation than the children in their care,” as the reason the law was necessary.
For survivors, the takeaway is simple: a door that was closed is open again — but only until June 30, 2028.
Why Experience Matters When You Choose a Rhode Island Child Sex Abuse Lawyer
Cases against large institutions are not ordinary personal injury cases. The organizations on the other side — dioceses, youth organizations, schools, and the insurers behind them — are well funded and well represented. They have spent years building legal defenses, and they will fight hard on issues of liability, records, and damages. Survivors deserve a legal team that has gone up against powerful defendants before and knows how to hold them accountable.
That is the kind of work Marcus J. Susen and Susen Law Group are built for. His practice includes extensive advocacy for survivors of institutional sexual abuse. Marcus has extensive experience co-counseling these cases across the country, including claims involving the Boy Scouts of America, clergy abuse, abuse in juvenile detention facilities in California and nationwide, and claims against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That breadth of institutional-abuse experience — across the very kinds of organizations Rhode Island’s new law targets — is exactly what these cases demand.
His track record against large, well-resourced defendants is substantial. Marcus Susen served as lead counsel of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Bayer/Essure litigation, a consolidated case involving thousands of injured women that settled nationally for approximately $1.6 billion. He has also been appointed to leadership in other major mass-tort proceedings. That experience — taking on institutions that would rather protect their reputation than answer for harm — is directly relevant to the survivors this new Rhode Island law is meant to help.
Who May Be Able to File During the Revival Window
You may have a claim under the new law if you were sexually abused as a child in Rhode Island and an institution or a supervisor enabled, ignored, concealed, or failed to prevent that abuse. This can include situations where an organization received complaints and did nothing, quietly moved a known abuser elsewhere, or prioritized its public image over the children in its care.
Because every survivor’s situation is different — the dates, the institution involved, the records that exist — the only way to know whether your claim fits within the revival window is to have the facts reviewed confidentially by a lawyer. There is no cost and no obligation to ask.
What to Do If You Were Harmed
If you are a survivor, you do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to relive everything to start the conversation. A confidential consultation is simply a chance to understand your rights and your options under the new law.
A few practical points to keep in mind:
The revival window is time-limited — it closes June 30, 2028, and waiting reduces your options. You will not be asked to share more than you are comfortable sharing in a first conversation. And consultations are confidential and carry no obligation.
If you or someone you love was harmed, reaching out sooner rather than later protects your ability to act while the window is open.
The Bottom Line
Rhode Island’s new revival window is a rare and meaningful opportunity for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to hold negligent institutions accountable — but it is open only from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. If you were told your case was too old, the law may now be on your side. Speaking with an experienced Rhode Island child sex abuse lawyer is the first step to understanding what this change means for you.
Talk to Susen Law Group — Confidential, No Obligation
Marcus J. Susen, Susen Law Group National mass-tort and dangerous-device attorney
Fort Lauderdale: 954-315-3815 Houston: 346-245-8835 
marcus@susenlawgroup.com 
susenlawgroup.com
Attorney advertising. This blog post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The $1.6 billion figure refers to the national settlement of the Bayer/Essure litigation in which Marcus Susen served in a leadership role and is not a representation about the value of any individual case. If you believe you have a claim, consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
Rhode Island notice: Attorney Advertising. Marcus Susen is not a licensed Rhode Island attorney and is working with Local Counsel Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers and attorney Erin K. Thurston, 268 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.