Ohio court of appeals rules woman can sue archdiocese

The woman says a priest had sex with her and then absolved her of the sin.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- A woman who says she was impregnated by a priest more than 40 years ago can proceed with a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, an appeals court ruled.
The woman, who has not been identified, sued two years ago, charging the archdiocese pressured her into putting her baby up for adoption and remaining silent about the identity of the girl's father.
A judge threw out the lawsuit last year after concluding the allegations were too old to pursue under Ohio's statute of limitations.
The Ohio 1st District Court of Appeals overturned that decision Friday, saying the woman should get a chance to prove that fraud and harassment by church officials prevented her from filing the lawsuit sooner.
The court also ruled that the woman should have the opportunity to prove that her religious indoctrination contributed to her fear of acting against the church.
"She was induced -- browbeaten, if you will -- not to come forward," said her attorney, Marc Mezibov.
Appeal likely
Church officials said they would appeal the ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court.
"We believe the appeals court has misconstrued Ohio law," said archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco.
The Ohio Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on whether dozens of other abuse suits -- most of which have been dismissed -- can proceed.
In the case decided Friday, the appeals court ordered Common Pleas Judge Ethna Cooper to hear evidence about fraud and other allegations before deciding whether the statute of limitations should apply.
The woman claims the priest, Norman Heil, had sex with her several times in 1965 while she was a student at Regina High School in Norwood. She claims Heil, who left the priesthood in 1966 and died in 1988, sometimes heard the girl's confessions and absolved her of her sins, including the sin of having sex with him.
Mezibov said his client gave the child, now 40, up for adoption.
He said the two recently reunited when the daughter began searching for her mother.