California Lifts Rape Statute Of Limitations Following Bill Cosby Case

Amid the Bill Cosby investigation and sexual assault case, Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill into effect that will eliminate California’s 10-year statute of limitations for prosecutors who seek to file rape and child molestation charges. 

Gov. Brown made the announcement Wednesday that the law will go into effect next year. The new bill comes after the recent sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, however the bill will not help women who made allegations against Cosby that date back more than 10 years. 

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Cosby continues to deny sexual abuse allegations despite dozens of women stepping forward.

California state Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, said in a statement:

“[The new law] tells every rape and sexual assault victim in California that they matter and that, regardless of when they are ready to come forward, they will always have an opportunity to seek justice in a court of law. Rapists should never be able to evade legal consequences simply because an arbitrary time limit has expired. There must never be an expiration date on justice!”

According to the California Women’s Law Center, seventeen other states already have no statue of limitations on rape.