MICHIGAN
Morning Sun
By Jameson Cook, jamie.cook@macombdaily.com, @jamesoncook on Twitter
A bill that eliminates the 10-year statute of limitations for criminal cases involving child sex-abuse victims unanimously passed a Senate panel.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill 5-0 on Wednesday, and it was referred to the full Senate for a potential vote, according to state officials. The bill’s main Senate sponsor is state Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren. A companion bill, HB 5859, in the state House of Representatives, sponsored by Rep. Adam Zemke, D–Ann Arbor, has not made it out of the Criminal Justice Committee.
The bill would eliminate the requirement that certain charges be filed within 10 years of the incident or in the case of a minor victim that it is filed before the accuser turns 21.
“The sexual exploitation of children is one of the most heinous crimes conceivable,” Bieda said in a written statement. “Michigan law must be able to hold perpetrators accountable, regardless of how long it takes victims to report, and I am glad that my colleagues and I were able to agree on this issue.”
The bill would remove the limitation in cases involving child pornography, second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, and assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct. First-degree criminal sexual conduct, which equates to forcible rape, already does not have a statute of limitations in Michigan.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.