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August 31, 2019

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Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper ruba’s ONLY English newspaper
A
Wave of child sex abuse lawsuits threatens Boy Scouts

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The
Boy Scouts of America
is facing a threat from a
growing wave of lawsuits
over decades-old allega-
tions of sexual abuse.
The Scouts have been
sued in multiple states in re-
cent months by purported
abuse victims, including
plaintiffs taking advantage
of new state laws or court
decisions that are now
allowing suits previously
barred because of the age
of the allegations.
More litigation is on the
way.
A lawyer representing 150
people who say they were
abused as Boy Scouts is
planning a suit in New Jer-
sey when the state's new
civil statute of limitations
law takes effect Dec. 1.
New Jersey was home to
the Boy Scouts' headquar-
ters for about 25 years until
1978.
Among the plaintiffs is Greg
Hunt, 62, of St. Petersburg,
Florida. He said he was
abused during a camping In this Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 photo, Greg Hunt poses for a photo in St. Petersburg, Fla.
trip in about 1969 in Penn- Associated Press
sylvania, where his family
lived at the time. your parents." The lawsuits several Roman Catholic di- year window in which vic- identified hundreds of vic-
"It'd be nice to have the raise the possibility that oceses have done amid liti- tims of child sex abuse will tims, after a Pennsylvania
Boy Scouts account for the Boy Scouts, one of the gation over abusive clergy. be able to sue over en- appeals court ruled that
their lack of ability to do largest youth organizations The New Jersey suit will counters outside the usual the state’s statute of limita-
the right thing," he said. "It in the U.S., might be star- come on top of at least statute of limitations. tions could be set aside if
would be nice for me to ing at many millions of dol- 24 that have been filed Another lawsuit was filed a victim could prove that
have the Scouts say we lars in settlements or judg- against the Scouts in New against the Boy Scouts this abuse was concealed by
did wrong by you and by ments that could lead it York since Aug. 14, when month in Philadelphia by fraud.
these other boys and by to declare bankruptcy, as that state opened a one- lawyers who say they have Continued on Page 3