RALEIGH (NC)
WRAL TV
June, 14, 2019
By Laura Leslie
A bill to extend the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue their abusers is moving forward in the state House after a passionate debate Wednesday pitting victims’ rights against concerns about business liability and false accusations.
House Bill 37 would extend the civil statute of limitations, currently at three years – a period set during the 19th century – to 20 years after a victim of child sexual abuse becomes an adult at 18.
Under criminal law, there is no statute of limitations for prosecuting child sexual abuse. But the standard of proof is higher, and prosecutors often won’t take older cases because of the difficulty of presenting evidence beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime two or three or several decades old.
Rep. Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance, argued that lengthening the window to age 38 would give victims the chance to mature and settle into their own lives, which is when many begin to come to terms with abuse they suffered in childhood.
Rep. Sarah Stevens, R-Surry, tried to amend the bill to lower the age to 28, offering a 10-year window instead of 20. She said it would be “nightmare” for an accused person to prove he or she didn’t commit a crime alleged to have occurred so many years ago.
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