Rep. Moeller Co-Sponsoring Bill to Extend Statute of Limitations in Sexual Assault Cases (Chicago Tribune)

To ensure that sexual assault survivors can seek justice against their perpetrators, state Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) is co-sponsoring legislation to extend the statute of limitations in certain sexual assault cases.

“Unfortunately, backlogs in processing vital DNA evidence can result in rape kits being left untested for months, or even years,” Moeller said. “Rape and sexual assault victims should never see justice delayed simply because law enforcement can’t keep up with the processing of the evidence. This bill pushes back the clock so that victims are not unfairly punished because of a processing delay.”

Senate Bill 2609 changes the start of the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases from when the crime occurs to when the rape kit has been collected, processed and analyzed. This measure addresses the sometimes years-long backlog in processing evidence kits.

Senate Bill 2609 passed the Senate and is under consideration in the House.

“This proposal will give every victim the opportunity to see their perpetrators held responsible for these horrific crimes,” said Moeller.

Moeller represents the 43rd District, which includes most of Elgin and portions of Barrington Hills, Carpentersville, East Dundee and South Elgin.

For more information, contact Moeller’s constituent services office at (847) 841-7130 or staterepmoeller@gmail.com.