Indiana Senate Weakens SOL Reform with New Amendment
We are grateful any time that legislators look to take critical reforms to the statute of limitations in their state. At the same time, it is disappointing to see well-written and well-meaning bills, aimed at protecting children and securing justice for survivors, hobbled by amendments that slow the pace of reform and promote the status quo.
Indiana Senate Bill 109 is a good bill and we are grateful to Sen. Michael Crider for proposing it and taking aim at his state’s archaic statute of limitations laws. But the amendment to SB 109 proposed by Sen. Mike Young severely undercuts the goal of the law and keeps Indiana’s statute of limitations in place until specific exceptions are met. This is a disappointing amendment that does little to protect Indiana children and much to prevent Indiana survivors from seeking justice.
The fact is that most sex crimes happen without leaving behind witnesses, recordings, or physical evidence. Sen. Young’s amendment is a bad one that reduces the bill’s efficacy. We hope that this bad addition to the bill will be mitigated when SB 109 is taken up by the Indiana House of Representatives and that survivors in Indiana get a chance at real reform.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director