4 Penobscot Indians accuse Maine priests of sexual abuse

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Four Native Americans who say they were sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests on their reservation in Maine have sued after the state eliminated the statute of limitations for child sex crimes. The Penobscot Nation members contend the abuse started when they were 7 to 16 years old at St. Ann Parish on Indian Island. The oldest abuse claim dates to 1972, while the most recent is from 1987. More than two dozen lawsuits brought by Bigos’ law firm are on hold while the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland challenges the Maine Legislature’s repeal of the statute of limitations on constitutional grounds. Three former priests are targeted in the latest lawsuit. The diocese declined to comment.