The Indiana Senate could vote next week on loosening the statute of limitations for child molesting.
For most felonies, prosecutors have to file charges within five years.
Child molesting is a special case — the clock runs until the victim turns 31.
Camille Cooper with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network argues the specific lengths of statutes of limitations vary from state to state because they’re arbitrary to begin with.
In cases of rape and child molesting, she says it often takes years for women to come to grips with what happened and to accept that it’s okay to come forward. She says even the age-31 limit often isn’t enough.
