Knopp disappointed by extended statute of limitations

The Oregon Senate agreed Thursday to raise the statute of limitations on rape from six years to 12, but that fell short of a 20-year limit backed by Sen. Tim Knopp (R-Bend), victim advocates, the Oregon District Attorneys Association and a bipartisan group of legislators.

Following debate on HB 2317, Knopp introduced a referral to eliminate the statute of limitations on rape altogether.

“Victims of rape endure deep emotional trauma, often preventing them from coming forward in a timely manner,” Knopp said.

“Rape victims need the best opportunity for justice possible, and a 12-year limit on prosecuting rape cases does not go far enough. While HB 2317 was a step in the right direction to protect and defend victims of rape, we need to give prosecutors a larger window of time to prosecute rapists, and aligning Oregon’s statute of limitation on rape with the majority of other states goes a long way toward showing victims we’re on their side.”

Raising the statute of limitations on rape in Oregon to 20 years would align Oregon’s law with 27 other states, with limits ranging from 20 years to no limit. Currently, half of all states have no statute of limitations on rape cases.