The Five Browns are a Utah sibling group who have become famous for touring with their dueling pianos. Sadly, the three sisters also became well known for publicly sharing that they were sexually abused by their father for years. The siblings pushed for prosecution of their father nearly 20 years after the sexual assaults took place. Now, their father is in prison.
They have also started a foundation that helps seek justice for other sexual abuse survivors. These siblings were only able to see justice because Utah did not have a statute of limitations for sexual assault claims. Some states do not allow prosecutors to bring sexual assault claims after a certain time period, but in 2019, Illinois lawmakers removed the time limit on criminal sexual assault charges.
Illinois New Sexual Assault Statute of Limitation Law
Prior to the enactment of this new law, Illinois prosecutors only had 10 years to bring these charges against a defendant. Prosecutors only had 10 years when the victim reported the crime within three years of the crime happening. For example, if a victim reported the crime four years after it happened, prosecutors would have not been able to bring criminal charges.
As of January 1st, there is no statute of limitation for the following sexual crimes:
- Criminal sexual assault
- Aggravated criminal sexual assault
- Aggravated criminal sexual abuse
Why are Victims’ Advocates Praising This Change in the Law?
Advocates against sexual abuse are praising the new law. Many victims of sexual assault do not come forward quickly for various reasons. According to the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, only 15.8 to 35% of all sexual assaults are reported to the police. Additionally, only 5% of rape cases lead to felony convictions and only 3% of rapists spend even one day in prison. Survivors of sexual assault cite the following reasons for failing to come forward:
- Fear of retribution
- Do not want family or others to know about the assault
- Unsure about the intent of the perpetrator
- Fear of the justice system
- They do not have enough proof
- A belief that the police cannot or will not do anything to help
- Feeling that the crime is not serious enough
The Effect of Illinois’ New Law
Civil liberties groups have praised Illinois for becoming one of the states that do not impose a statute of limitations on sexual assaults and abuse cases. However, those who opposed the law contend that removing the statute of limitations could put pressure on prosecutors and victims to bring cases in which the recollections and evidence may have degraded over time.
We Can Help
Now that lawmakers have lifted the statute of limitations on sexual crimes, we may see an uptick in sexual assault prosecutions in Illinois. If you are facing criminal sexual assault charges in the Cook County area, our lawyers can help. Contact Glasgow & Olsson as soon as possible to schedule your initial consultation. We have the experience and skill to represent your rights throughout the process.