Bill Would Lift Statute of Limitations: Deadline to Report Child Sex Abuse May Be Removed, Steve Limtiaco, Pacific Daily News, May 5, 2010

Bill Would Lift Statute of Limitations: Deadline to Report Child Sex Abuse May Be Removed

By Steve Limtiaco
Pacific Daily News
May 5, 2010

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20100505/NEWS01/5050327

Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz

Guam residents who were sexually abused as children but failed to report it before the legal deadline could have another shot at justice.

The American Red Cross

Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz yesterday introduced a bill that would remove the current three-year statute of limitations on sex crimes against children, allowing alleged abusers to be prosecuted at any time.

The deadline for reporting and prosecuting sexual abuse that happened to a child used to be 19, but it was changed last year to 21, or three years after the "age of majority."

If Cruz's bill becomes law, there would be no statute of limitations.

Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco last week told the Pacific Daily News the current statute of limitations limits the ability to prosecute.

"Depending on when the crime occurred or the crimes occurred, and based on our current statute of limitations as it relates to sexual abuse, we may be prevented from prosecuting," she said.

Cruz, who has said he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest as a boy in Los Angeles, last year introduced a bill to open a two-year legal window for people sexually abused as children on Guam to file civil lawsuits against their alleged abusers.

"Even within several years of reaching the age of majority, most victims lack the emotional maturity, fortitude and means for legal recourse. One other reason for failure to report sexual abuse is the statute of limitations for such offenses," states a written release from Cruz's office.

"There is little reason to report past abuse if justice can no longer be served," the release stated. "Our current laws were not written in recognition of these facts and need to be changed. Our community must no longer tolerate such crimes by imposing due dates on civil actions by victims and on the prosecution of perpetrators."