Bill would make serious child sexual abuse crimes never expire

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill proposes that sexual offenses committed against minors should never expire when the maximum penalty is five or more years in prison. These crimes would join the list of crimes that never expire, alongside crimes against humanity, genocide, terrorism causing death, and crimes in armed conflict.
2. For other sexual offenses against minors that would still expire, the bill proposes that the time limit start counting when the victim turns forty-five, instead of the current thirty-five. This would give victims at least until age fifty to report the facts.
3. The bill also proposes that sentences handed down for these serious sexual offenses against minors should never expire, so that whenever the criminal case does not expire, serving the sentence does not expire either.
4. When a sexual offense against a minor is committed by another minor, the bill proposes a special ten-year time limit, counted from when the victim turns thirty-five, or from the victim's death if that happens earlier.
5. The explanatory statement justifies the change because victims usually report very late, on average around age forty-two, and many cases have already expired by the time they report. It also cites international recommendations calling for eliminating or greatly extending these time limits.
6. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette. This is a bill admitted for processing in the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados), not an approved law.

Who it affects

• People who suffered sexual abuse as minors: They would have more time, or unlimited time in the most serious cases, to report the facts.
• Victims of sexual offenses committed by minors: They would have a ten-year period starting when they turn thirty-five to have the facts prosecuted.
• People convicted of these crimes: Sentences for the most serious crimes would no longer expire, so they could be served with no time limit.
• People reporting abuse in institutions: Their cases would no longer expire so easily before they are able to report.

Words worth knowing

Prescripción

The crime or sentence 'expires' over time: once the legally set period passes, the case can no longer be tried or the sentence served.

Imprescriptibilidad

The crime never expires: it can be reported and prosecuted no matter how much time has passed.

Ley orgánica

A type of Spanish law reserved for major matters, such as the Penal Code, requiring a special vote in Congress.

Sentencia firme

A court ruling that can no longer be appealed, meaning it is final.

Proposición de ley

A bill: a text in the form of a law still being processed in Congress, which may be approved, amended, or rejected.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries