COLORADO
Colorado Sun
June 12, 2020
By Jesse Paul
House Bill 1296, brought in the wake of a damning report on Colorado’s Catholic church, was set aside at the request of one of its prime sponsors in the hopes of bringing future legislation that will also benefit past survivors of abuse. The decision to sideline the measure drew disappointment.
In a stunning reversal on Friday, a lead sponsor on a bill that would have given future child sexual assault victims in Colorado unlimited time to sue their abusers and those who allowed their abuse to happen asked that the measure be rejected.
Instead, state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, said she wants to bring legislation that would also allow prior child sex assault victims to sue to their accusers as other states have done — sometimes called a “look-back window” — despite caution from the legislature’s attorneys that doing so may violate the Colorado constitution.
“I’m not willing to pass a bill that lets perpetrators off the hook,” Gonzales said. “I will not settle for watered-down justice. I believe we have to do better. All victims of sexual assault deserve to see their abusers held accountable.”
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