Legislation
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Tuesday August 21st 2007 marked a historic day for sexual assault victims in the state of Connecticut. Thanks to the commitment and motivation of Jean Henry (Legislative Program Manager from the Office of Policy and Management), the Connecticut State Government and Donna Palomba, the statute of limitations for sexual assault crimes involving DNA evidence has been removed. CT Governor Jodi Rell, Waterbury Mayor Jarjura, Waterbury Police Chief Neil O'Leary, Commissioner Danaher along with several CT senators and representatives gathered at the Waterbury Police Department for the ceremonial signing of this important section of the implementer bill no. 1500 passed in the June special session of the Legislature.
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As Governor Rell emphasized, "Make no mistake: Sexual assault is violent crime - it is not a crime of passion. It is violence of the most personal and devastating kind, as brutal in its own right as murder. And it deserves not only harsh punishment but our very best - and unswerving - effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. Today Connecticut takes another step in that direction." After expressing her profound gratitude, Donna Palomba furthered Governor Rell's point by asking "one more thing" of the Connecticut State Legislature, "to make the statute of limitations on sexual assault retroactive." Such an accomplishment would make John Regan, the perpetrator in Donna's case, susceptible to conviction for the crime of sexual assault.
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View the bill
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Every state has different laws regarding the crime of sexual assault. The following websites allow you to find the laws in your state;
States vary greatly in their treatment of the statute of limitation for sexual assault. For example, the statute of limitations for sexual assault is five years in Kansas, 10 years in Iowa, 15 years in Massachusetts and without limit in New Jersey. View a state-by-state breakdown.
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
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