Sex abuse claims in the Catholic Church in Michigan

Michigan has no active lookback window for historical childhood sexual abuse claims as of February 2026. Michigan's civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse runs until the survivor turns 28, or later under the discovery rule below (MCL 600.5851b). Michigan also has a statutory discovery rule for these claims: a survivor may sue within 3 years after discovering, or when they should have discovered, both the injury and its causal relationship to the abuse, if that is later than age 28 (MCL 600.5851b(1)). The Michigan Legislature extended the SoL from the prior 3-year rule in 2018.

Michigan's 2018 SoL reform (PA 183) was prospective only and did not create a retroactive reviver window. Michigan survivors whose claims were time-barred before 2018 were not revived. The Michigan Legislature has considered retroactive window legislation modeled on New York's Child Victims Act; no retroactive window has passed as of February 2026. CHILD USA and Michigan survivor advocacy groups continue to push for reform. Survivors over 28 whose abuse predates 2018 may still have options if fraudulent concealment by the diocese can be demonstrated.

The Diocese of Kalamazoo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2023, consolidating dozens of abuse claims into a bankruptcy trust process. Survivors with claims against the Diocese of Kalamazoo must file proofs of claim in the bankruptcy proceeding rather than civil lawsuits — missing the bar date can extinguish recovery rights, though the court may allow a late claim in limited circumstances; an attorney can check. The Archdiocese of Detroit, the Diocese of Lansing, the Diocese of Saginaw, the Diocese of Gaylord, and the Diocese of Grand Rapids have faced civil claims but have not filed for bankruptcy protection as of February 2026. Michigan cases outside the Kalamazoo bankruptcy are filed in Michigan Circuit Courts.

Michigan survivors can contact the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV) at (517) 347-7000, SNAP's Michigan chapter, and RAINN at 1-800-656-4673. The Michigan Attorney General's Office opened a clergy abuse investigation in 2018 and has prosecuted individual clergy. Survivors with claims against the Diocese of Kalamazoo should contact an attorney regarding the bankruptcy bar date. CHILD USA tracks Michigan SoL reform advocacy and any future window legislation.