ELIMINATING THE OREGON STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON SEXUAL ABUSE

We are working hard to change Oregon law to protect our children from sex offenders and to hold sex offenders accountable for the heinous crimes they commit against children. Here's what you'll find on this page...

RATIONALE | GOAL | OBJECTIVES | EXISTING STATUTES & LAWS CONCERNING SEX ABUSE |

EASY ACTION STEPS TO SUPPORT ELIMINATING THE OREGON STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS LAW

RATIONALE

Changing the Oregon Statute of Limitations for Oregon's children offers the silenced a way to use their voices. We are advocating for no statute of limitations when it concerns the welfare of our most precious, vulnerable little people. Simply stated, this law will protect children.

The child victims act, authorized by representative Andy Olson would eliminate the civil and criminal statute of limitations for sexual abuse of children. It would give children victims of unspeakable sexual trauma, the chance to speak up in a way that they were previously unable to. Current Oregon law states; the statute of limitations is restricted to either the child's 30th birthday or within 12 years of being reported to law enforcement agency or Department of Human Services.

Murder has no statute of limitations. The rape of a child is a heinous crime that ranks with murder and kills the child's innocence-therefore there should be no statute of limitations.
Strong punishment of child predators will make Oregon an unsafe place for them to be.

GOAL

We want Oregon to enact the strongest law in the nation to protect our innocent children from sexual abuse. NAPSAC is a national organization that is working to change the law in every state to no limitations for child sexual abuse. We are supporting their efforts by changing Oregon's law and be a beacon for other states.

OBJECTIVES

Objectives for changing the statute of limitations for child sex abuse in Oregon:

Provide strong protection for children.
Deter people that molest children from living within our Oregon communities.
Give child sex abuse survivors a chance to find justice.
Hold public and private institutions accountable that enable, hide or abet child sex abuse
To influence the criminal justice system to aggressively pursue perpetrators of child sex abuse and the public and private institutions that enable child sex abuse
To change the statute of limitations for child sex abuse in Oregon. We are advocating to have no statute of limitations for child sex abuse for criminal as well as civil cases.
To recognize child sexual abuse as a serious crime with long term consequences and to close loopholes that exist allowing child predators to get away without being punished because of an inadequate existing law.

THE EXISTING STATUTES AND LAWS CONCERNING CHILD SEX ABUSE

Section 1. ORS 131.125 is amended to read:
A prosecution for any of the following felonies may be commenced within six years after the commission of the crime or, if the victim at the time of the crime was under 18 years of age, anytime before the victim attains 30 years of age or within 12 years after the offense is reported to a law enforcement agency or the Department of Human Services, whichever occurs first.
(a) Encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree under ORS 163.684.
(b) Incest under ORS 163.525

A prosecution for any of the following misdemeanors may be commenced within four years after the commission of the crime or, if the victim at the time of the crime was under 18 years of age, anytime before the victim attains 22 years of age or within four years after the offense is reported to a law enforcement agency or the Department of Human Services, whichever occurs first:
(a) Sexual abuse in the third degree under ORS 163.415
(b) other ORS numbers on this subject: ORS 167.070, ORS 167.065, ORS 167.075, ORS 167.080.

EASY ACTION STEPS TO HELP SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATIVE CHANGE

Please ask your Oregon State Representatives to help keep children safe from sexual predators by helping us pass this new law.

Write a letter

If you are short on time, select 1 of the 4 letter templates and simply insert your legislator's name, and sign your own name and address. If you have an extra minute, please personalize the letter. By inserting a sentence about your personal perspective on this issue, your message becomes more powerful.

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