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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 2, 2016 02:54 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Kevin J. Boyle |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Eliminating the Criminal Statute of Limitations for Major Sexual Offenses |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a bill that amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to eliminate the statute of limitations that restricts the prosecution of rape and sexual assault. According to the Department of Justice, rape and sexual assault are the least reported major crimes, with only a third of victims reporting their attacks to police. There are dozens of well-documented reasons as to why victims are afraid to report crimes of sexual assault and rape to the police. It can take many years for survivors to find the courage to finally report these crimes and too often these survivors find out that the statute of limitations has expired. My bill will allow these survivors to seek justice without having to worry about a time constraint placed on them by the laws that are supposed to be protecting them. Once again, rape and sexual assault are among the most serious crimes, and as such, there should be no limitation on when victims can initiate prosecution against their attackers. Therefore, please join me in co-sponsoring this very important, common-sense bill and help Pennsylvania follow in the footsteps of sixteen other states that have already eliminated their statutes of limitations in cases of rape and sexual assault. |