SNAP Supports California’s Effort to Support Survivors and Protect Children

For immediate release: March 4, 2019

A bill has been introduced in the California Assembly that would help protect children and support survivors by amending the state’s statutes of limitations on felony child sex crimes.

AB-218, introduced by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, is a great step forward for survivors and advocates in California. Among others, the most critical reforms in AB-218 will allow survivors of sexual violence to bring their cases forward until they are 40 years old, a massive increase from the current age of 26 and a serious help to survivors who have been suffering silence. The bill will also open a three-year “window” that would allow claims that have been previously barred by statutes of limitation to be heard.

These are major steps forward that reflect the realities of sexual violence. Survivors often take decades to come forward about their abuse – the average age of a survivor coming forward is 52 – and are often barred from seeking justice by statutes like those that AB 218 seeks to amend.

Any step that legislatures can take that will reduce barriers to survivors coming forward will also result in children being safer and the public being better informed about sexual violence in their community and what they can do to prevent it. We hope that others in California will take steps to support AB 218, including:

• Writing or calling their local Assemblyperson to share their support for AB 218 ,
• Writing letters to the editor in favor of the bill and encouraging others to learn about it, or
• Contacting Assemblywoman Gonzalez’s office to learn about volunteer opportunities on behalf of AB 218.

We look forward to the passage of AB 218 and the brighter future it will create for children and survivors in California.

CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP California ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Joey Piscitelli, SNAP California ([email protected], 925-262-3699) Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Secretary ([email protected], 925-708-6175) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(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)