The passage of House Bill 973 has extended the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child abuse felonies an additional five years.
Executive Director of Cumberland County’s House of Hope Denise Melton said often times, these cases are not reported in time because people are afraid they may not believed.
“As they become an adult, they may get into counselling and realize you know, what has happened to them as they can see it from an adult point of view,” Melton said. “And they may want to report this. And oftentimes, in the past, you know, the statute of limitations has run out.”
Melton said increasing the statute of limitations buys more time for victims to process their trauma and ultimately hold their abuser accountable.
Melton said child abuse is a huge issue in the area, with over 1,700 reported instances last year in Cumberland County alone.
Melton said victims may not feel comfortable coming forward for years due to the nature of their experiences.
“Many times, the victims do not come to terms with what has happened until they’re up into adulthood or sometimes until they have children of their own,” “This is so important to give them a voice, and to let them know they have not run out of time.
The Tennessee law change extends the statute of limitations from 25 years after a victim’s 18th birthday to 30 years.
Melton said she is unsure if the bill would make it easier to prosecute these cases because they still need evidence. However, Melton said it is still important that victims know about this legislation.
Melton said the increase in time is good because victims will be able to process their trauma slower if needed. In addition, victims who were not believed as children may go back and re-report their experiences.
She said she hopes this bill gives more children a chance to report their experiences.
“I would advise any adult that has a child that discloses anything like this to them to believe them and go to the proper authorities to report it,” Melton said.