For more information, contact:
Aidan McMorrow, 608-266-5810
(MADISON) – On Wednesday, August 7th, Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) held a joint press conference with Representative Chris Taylor (D-Madison) and Representative Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) to discuss LRB 1718, the Child Victims Act. The bill, which was introduced last session, would remove the statute of limitations for sexual assault that occurs during childhood.
Under current Wisconsin law, the right of childhood victims to bring legal action expires at the age of 35. This extends to victims of sexual assault, incest, and other forms of child sex abuse. The Child Victims Act would remove this time limit altogether. Additionally, it would allow for those who were unable to bring charges under the previous statute of limitations to seek legal action up to three years after the passage of the bill. Regarding the legislation, Senator Taylor issued the following statement:
“There should never be an expiration date on justice. There are numerous reasons why victims find it difficult to come forward, especially in instances of childhood sex abuse, but our laws should never be one of them. This bill will make it possible for victims of sexual abuse to seek justice, no matter how long they wait to speak out.”
“I’m proud to add my voice to the growing number of legislators across the country demanding justice for survivors. There’s nothing partisan about this legislation, it’s simply the right thing to do.”
