COLORADO
Greeley Tribune
Tribune Opinion
February 15, 2006
Arguably, crimes against children are among the most horrendous in our society.
And none is worse than a sexual crime against a child.
It is itself a crime that few pedophiles are ever brought to justice. Often, it's a case of a child's word against an adult's. Or, in Colorado, it could be the victim reporting the crime bumps up against statutory limitations on prosecution.
Three bills currently before the state legislature seek to rectify at least part of this problem. Two of the bills -- House bills 1088 and 1090 -- would allow for prosecution of sex crimes against children without time limits. The other bill -- Senate Bill 143 -- would open a two-year window for victims to file a civil lawsuit against the accused, even if that person is dead or incapacitated.
As the law stands now, a sexual assault victim has until the age of 28 to level criminal charges against a suspect. In civil cases, the victim has six years to file a lawsuit after his or her injury and the cause are legally determined.