The statute of limitations might be eliminated in cases involving child sexual abuse, at least that’s what Champaign’s State Senator Scott Bennett is proposing.
Bennett introduced a bill to the Illinois General Assembly that would remove the current statute of limitations relating to child sexual assault. This means that a victim of child sexual abuse could report a sexual assault at any time with that the persecutor would be prosecuted.
Currently, victims of child sexual abuse in Illinois have 20 years after they turn 18 to report the crime. After that, no charges can be filed.
Statute of limitation laws are in place for most types of felonies, and are designed to make sure evidence is still reliable when charges are filed. The idea is that after a certain amount of time, both physical evidence and witness’ memories may have degraded to the point that they’re useless in court.
Bennett’s bill was created in response to former U.S. Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, confessing in court that he sexually abused minors three decades ago in Illinois during a trial for structuring bank withdrawals.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Due to the statute of limitations, Hastert cannot be prosecuted for child sexual abuse. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the structuring charge, however, and became one of the most prominent American politicians ever to be sent to prison.
Bennett created Senate Bill 3402 in response to the Hastert case, to remove the time limit and limitations on filing criminal charges on child sex crimes.
“We shouldn’t reward people who are lucky enough to not get caught,” said Bennett in a press release. “Often victims of abuse take some time to find the courage to address these horrific crimes. They should have the option when they are ready to confront their abuser.”
