Steve Chapman is right to argue in favor of long statutes of limitations for the crime of rape (Commentary, Mar. 12). Sexual assault counselors and advocates know all too well that the crime of rape has severe and long-lasting repercussions, and, in many instances, statutes of limitation run out before the rape survivor is ready to participate in any kind of legal action against her rapist.
That is why the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault supported Illinois’ efforts to increase to 10 years the statute of limitations for felony sex crimes. It is also why we hope the General Assembly will enact the Gender Violence Act with a seven-year statute of limitations for sexual assault and other forms of gender-related violence.
In order to give sexual assault survivors access to justice, we must recognize the realities of rape and create laws that meet survivors’ needs. The Gender Violence Act does this by giving them the time they need to heal, and telling rapists that they cannot rely on artificially short statutes of limitation to protect them from ever having to face their victims in a court of law.
