Abolishing Statutes of Limitation (SOLs)
Every survivor’s journey is unique, and it often takes decades for an individual to navigate cultural stigmas, organizational barriers, and their personal healing to disclose the harm they experienced.
Statutes of Limitation (SOLs) place an arbitrary time limit on when a survivor can seek legal redress, often denying them the opportunity to hold perpetrators and institutions accountable. This legal constraint is more than a procedural hurdle – it is a profound injustice that effectively silences survivors.
A “patchwork” system of laws
A survivor’s options for justice are directly impacted by where they live and/or experienced childhood sexual violence. Across different countries, states, territories, or provinces, individuals with similar experiences may encounter completely different legal options. Some survivors may be unable to pursue legal action entirely. This inconsistent “patchwork” system of laws does not work – only by abolishing SOLs can we ensure all survivors have the same opportunity to seek justice.
Justice Unleashed in Europe
In July 2023, this groundbreaking report co-authored by two of our survivor leaders and Child Global was launched. “Justice Unleashed” lays bare the tiered system of justice that survivors face across Europe, and presents a scorecard for all European nations, pointing to where changes are most urgently needed.
Join us in our call for governments around the world to abolish these outdated laws that stand in the way of survivors obtaining justice and the public learning the truth about this ongoing endangerment of our children.
Taking action in Latin America
The Brave Movement proudly presents two pivotal reports addressing SOLs across Latin America.
Plazos de prescripción en América. Latina
(Español, English) is a collaborative effort by the Global SOL Taskforce (CHILD GLOBAL, Brave Movement, Fundación Derecho al Tiempo) and provides a thorough legal evaluation and country-specific rankings. This report emphasizes the critical need to eliminate criminal SOLs for childhood sexual violence.
Venimos Valientes
(Español) is crafted by survivor leaders who serve as experts, activists, scholars, psychologists, and lawyers while pursuing justice in the region. These leaders united to establish Movimiento de Valientes de Latinoamérica y el Caribe (“Brave Movement Latin America & Caribbean”). Utilizing a comprehensive neuro-psycho-social framework, this report examines the repercussions and impacts of sexual violence on infants, girls, boys, and adolescents.
Plazos de prescripción en América. Latina
a collaborative effort by the Global SOL Taskforce (CHILD GLOBAL, Brave Movement, Fundación Derecho al Tiempo) and provides a thorough legal evaluation and country-specific rankings.
Venimos Valientes
crafted by survivor leaders who serve as experts, activists, scholars, psychologists, and lawyers while pursuing justice in the region.
SOLs and online child sexual exploitation and abuse
The digital age has ushered in complex challenges, particularly the persistent and pervasive sharing of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) online. This is not a crime confined to a single moment in time; rather, it is an ongoing violation that inflicts continuous harm on survivors.
When such materials are shared, they perpetuate an unending cycle of trauma. Each view, each share, represents a new instance of abuse, a fresh wound inflicted upon the survivor. This recurring harm underscores the necessity for our legal systems to adapt and acknowledge the continuous nature of these offenses. Support for survivors cannot be bound by time constraints when the impact of the crime endures indefinitely.
Survivors of these crimes deserve the opportunity to seek justice without the arbitrary limits imposed by statutes of limitations. The evolving landscape of digital crimes requires an equally progressive legal response, one that prioritizes the well-being and rights of victims over procedural limitations. By removing these time constraints, we empower survivors, validate their experiences, and reinforce a collective commitment to justice.
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Thank you for being brave!