Crane: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Sexual Assault

This session I am supporting a measure that will help those who were victims of sex crimes as children seek justice as adults.

Because of the sensitive nature of these kinds of crimes, it is not uncommon for a victim to wait a long period of time before reporting the crime to law enforcement. Under our current law, the statute of limitations for most sex crimes committed against children expires after the victim has turned 31. This means that, under current law, if a perpetrator confessed when the victim was over age 31, law enforcement wouldn’t be able to press charges.

Senate Bill 109 would change that by creating exemptions to the statute of limitations for sex crimes against children. Under SB 109, if law enforcement discover DNA evidence of a crime, discover a recording that provides evidence of a crime, or if the perpetrator confesses to the crime, a new window of time opens up for law enforcement to bring charges against the perpetrator, even if the victim is now older than 31 years of age.

In 2015, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 94, also known as “Jenny’s Law,” which provides the same exemptions to the statute of limitations for rape. SB 109 is an expansion of Jenny’s Law, ensuring justice for victims of sex crimes other than rape.

SB 109 recently passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support and is up for consideration by the House of Representatives.

To learn more about SB 109, click here.

Senator John B. Crane – District 24