Bill > S1165

This bill amends the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of sexual assault and child rape in Massachusetts by eliminating time restrictions for such cases when the victim was a minor at the time of the offense. Specifically, the legislation allows indictments or complaints alleging indecent assault and battery or rape to be filed at any time after the offense was committed, provided that the victim was under 18 years old when the crime occurred. This change means that survivors of childhood sexual abuse will have the ability to seek criminal charges against their abusers regardless of how much time has passed since the incident, which can help address challenges survivors face in reporting such traumatic experiences and provide a path to justice even years after the crime was committed. The bill represents a significant expansion of legal recourse for victims of childhood sexual crimes by removing previous time limitations that might have prevented prosecution.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1165