Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown announced that he approved the removal of the 10-year ban on the statute of limitations. This means that victims who claim they were sexually abused can finally press charges when they’ve built up the confidence to do so. Beginning in 2017, the bill will end the statute in some rape and child molestation cases.
State Sen. Connie Leyva is very happy with the outcome of this decision as she believes that justice should not have an expiration date. In a statement, she says that the bill’s approval “tells every rape and sexual assault victim in California that they matter and that, regardless of when they are ready to come forward, they will always have an opportunity to seek justice in a court of law.” Leyva added, “Rapists should never be able to evade legal consequences simply because an arbitrary time limit has expired. There must never be an expiration date on justice!”
While the bill helps many sexual abuse victims, it will not help the women who have accused Cosby of rape. Defense attorney Angela Agrusa says that these women’s claims haven’t been investigated by police and have merely invited reactions from spectators.
So many men and women will finally be able to find peace of mind since this bill has been approved. It can take years for someone to muster up the strength to come forward, so kudos to California for taking a step forward for justice!
TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on Instagram & @tallyohhh on Twitter!
Source: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/09/28/gov-brown-signs-bill-revoking-californias-10-year-statue-of-limitation-on-rape-cases/amp/
