Child Abuse Cases Should Not Have Extended Statutes of Limitations (From Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints, P 217-223, 1994, David Bender and Bruno Leone, eds. -- See NCJ-159823)

• NCJ Number: 159849
• Author(s): R A Gardner
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

Statutes of limitations were created to protect the rights of defendants, and current legal efforts to extend statutes of limitations for child abuse cases may inappropriately erode defendant rights.

Abstract

In recent years, some adults claim they realize they were abused as children. Although these claims are sometimes true, there is no question that many adults make false accusations. Commonly, late revelation of abuse occurs in the office of a therapist who has a reputation for being particularly skilled in bring repressed memories into conscious awareness. Child sexual abuse is widespread, but many individuals who report such abuse later in life have never been sexually abused. In some instances, males are simply targets of female anger. Certain dangers are inherent in extending statutes of limitations in cases in which discovery of abuse occurs much later in life. These statutes should not be extended until sensitive criteria have been developed for differentiating between true and false child sexual abuse allegations.