House committee guts bill that would’ve eliminated statute of limitations for all rape crimes

Advocates have been pushing for years to eliminate the statute of limitations for certain sex crimes. A bill to do that cleared the Senate this year.

But a House committee gutted the measure Wednesday.

Under current law, the only sex crimes without a statute of limitations are rape and child molestation if using or threatening deadly force, while armed with a deadly weapon, or by drugging or causing serious bodily injury to the victim.

The Senate advanced a bill, SB 151, to lift the time limit for all cases of rape and child molestation.

Carissa Siekmann has been pushing for the bill for years. She said she was raped as a teenager, as was her younger sister. And Siekmann said Indiana has one of the highest rates of sexual assault against high school girls in the country.

“We must ask ourselves why are neighboring states providing more justice for their citizens?” Siekmann said. “Why are they valuing their survivors more than Indiana currently is?”

READ MORE: Lawmakers revisit eliminating statute of limitations for rape, child molestation

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A House committee largely deleted the bill. Instead, the measure now only lengthens an existing statute of limitations extension for rape.

Right now, if DNA evidence, a recording or a confession is discovered after the statute of limitations has expired, a case can move forward within five years of that new evidence coming to light. The legislation extends that to 10 years.

The committee didn’t explain the reason for the overhaul. Sen. Scott Alexander (R-Muncie), the bill’s author, said there’s “a little bit of consternation” to change the statute of limitations at all.

He called the amended measure a small step forward.

“It was really good for the committee to hear what they heard today,” Alexander said. “And maybe that’ll change things.”

Alexander said he’ll continue to push for the original language.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.