Bills ending statute of limitations for sex assault expire at the end of the year. The sun is about to set on proposed
legislation that would make it easier for victims of sexual assault to
seek justice in the District of Columbia.
Current
law in the District requires sex assault victims to report allegations
before the statute of limitations runs out in order for prosecutors and
courts to act on the allegations. For civil cases the statute of
limitations is three years; for criminal cases it’s up to 15 years. In
cases where the victim is a minor, the statute of limitations doesn’t
kick in until the victim’s 21st birthday.