Republicans control several state legislatures and are the major impediment to reforming the various state statutes of limitations (SOL) preventing victims of child sexual abuse victims from seeking justice. Child USA tracks the progress of SOL reform in the states. Children who are abused are often not ready to report until they have processed what happened to them. Some states set an age limit for reporting and filing a civil case that favors abusers. Republican states have been slow to reform or eliminate their statute of limitations. In some states the Democratic-controlled body has passed reform several times to see it die in the Republican-controlled other body.
Republicans talk a lot about protecting children, passing “Don’t Say Gay” laws and bathroom laws that make life miserable for trans students. But while these culture war issues actually harm children, they do little to stop child sexual abuse. Strengthening mandatory reporting, eliminating the religious exemption for mandatory report, eliminating statute of limitations on reporting child sexual abuse are important reforms and are making more progress in Democratic-controlled legislatures.
In addition, many states have religious liberty exemptions from mandatory reporting for child abuse and neglect. Idaho even has a religious exemption for manslaughter if, for example, a child dies because the parents rely on faith healing. Many states have religious exemptions allowing parents to withhold treatment and refuse vaccines, but no state goes as far as Idaho.
Federally, survivors had to sue in federal court by age 28. Congress passed a bill removing that statute of limitations.
- Justia Verdict: The Republican fail on sex assault and child sex abuse
- The Spokesman-Review: How faith-healing exemptions remain in Idaho and Washington
- Eye on Boise: Lawmakers scrutinize Idaho’s faith-healing exemption from child neglect, manslaughter charges
- The News & Observer: New law gives child sex abuse survivors more time to sue predators, enablers.
- Arizona Mirror: Republicans vote down bill to increase statute of limitations on child sex abuse.
- Rozzi Press Release: Rozzi slams Republicans for using rape victims as a political football in budget deals
- Newsweek: Why are Republicans enable child sex abusers?
- RAINN: State by State Guide on Statutes of Limitations
20 Mar 2016