Legal Insights
After years of advocacy by survivors and legislative effort, Rhode Island has joined many other states and enacted landmark legislation that opens litigation opportunities to victims of childhood sexual abuse whose claims were extinguished long before they had any ability to pursue a claim.
Under the new law, survivors may now bring civil claims against the Diocese of Providence and other institutions that were aware of — and negligently failed to act, actively concealed, or otherwise affirmatively enabled — abuse committed against children in their care.
The new law comes on the heels of Attorney General Peter Neronha’s March 2026 report, which revealed decades of institutional concealment within the Diocese of Providence affecting hundreds of children across Rhode Island. The report documented a pattern of suppressing evidence, ‘handling’ criminal investigations, and reassigning accused clergy to new parishes — where abuse continued.
For survivors whose claims had long been blocked by the statute of limitations — many of whom are now in their 60s and 70s — the legislation creates a two-year window that starts on July 1, 2026, to seek accountability through Rhode Island courts. Survivors who wish to bring claims must act within this limited period — once it closes on June 30, 2028, these claims will be barred once again.
A Proven Advocate for Rhode Island Clergy Sex Abuse Survivors
Timothy Conlon, Chair of the Private Client Group at DarrowEverett LLP, has devoted years of his career to fighting for victims of institutional abuse. On June 11, shortly after the bill was signed, he presented a seminar on handling institutional child abuse claims at the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. He tracked this legislation from its earliest drafts, reviewed dozens of iterations over the years, and made countless trips to the statehouse to advocate for its passage. Now that the law is in effect, Tim and the DarrowEverett team are prepared to act immediately on behalf of survivors.
Conlon works with a team that includes former prosecutors, and his work in this field has earned him significant recognition — including Case of the Year from the Rhode Island Association for Justice in 2003, Lawyer of the Year honors from Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly in 2022, and a Law.com Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. The last two awards follow Conlon’s work in connection with North Kingstown’s “naked fat test” scandal, which led to four independent reports calling for institutional reform in a local school system.
To read those reports:
- June 18, 2021 report from Matthew T. Oliverio, Esq.
- March 14, 2022 report from Matthew T. Oliverio, Esq. (Phase 2)
- June 9, 2022 review from Susan McGuirl, Associate Justice (Retired)
- January 25, 2024 Department of Justice review
Tim’s combination of deep subject-matter experience, legislative knowledge, and compassion for survivors makes him uniquely equipped to guide victims through the claims process — and to do so within the critical two-year window the law provides.
For more on Tim’s background, visit his biography page at https://darroweverett.com/lawyers/timothy-j-conlon/.
Contact Us
If you or someone you know suffered sexual abuse as a child at the hands of clergy or within an institution that failed to protect you, we are here to listen. The decision to pursue a legal claim is a deeply personal one, and we respect wherever you are in that process.
But time is limited. The two-year window will not stay open indefinitely, and building a strong case takes preparation. We encourage you to reach out as soon as you are ready — even if only to ask questions. Please contact Tim Conlon and the team at DarrowEverett LLP.
