Advocates Press for More Time to Prosecute Sex Assault Cases

By Daniela AltimariC
Hartford Courant
March 24, 2017

http://www.courant.com/politics/capitol-watch/hc-advocates-press-for-more-time-to-prosecute-sex-assault-cases-20170324-story.html

La wmakers are considering a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases.

Senate Bill 1042 would give victims and prosecutors up to 10 years to bring a sexual assault case forward, up from the current limit of five years.

Advocates say the change is needed because victims often need time to process the trauma of their experience.

"There have been cases where the statute of limitations has expired before a case can be fully built, which deprives the victim for a chance for justice through no fault of their own,'' Kaitlyn Fydenkevez, director of policy and public relations for the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence told the legislature's judiciary committee on Friday.

Fydenkevez, who spoke for the first time publicly about her own experience as a survivor of child sexual abuse, said Connecticut's statute of limitations is significantly shorter than those of 23 other states.

"The five-year clock starts ticking on the day of the assault,'' she said. "Connecticut's window for prosecuting sexual assault cases is extremely small compared to other states.''

Several states have no limit, something Fydenkevez and other advocates support.

Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford and the co-chairman of the committee, commended the courage of Fydenkevez and other survivors who came forward. But regarding the bill, he said lawmakers have to balance the needs of victims with the due process accorded by the U.S. Constitution to those accused of crimes.

Rep. Tom O'Dea, R-New Canaan said he understands the logic of extending the statute of limitations from five to 10 years but expressed concerns about eliminating the statute of limitations altogether.