The statute of limitations for sexual offenses and child abuse is increased to 35 years. This was decided by the parliament, adopting in the second reading amendments to the Penal Code. The current term is 20 years.
The upper limit of punishments for such crimes is also increased.
The opposition objected to the preservation of the lower – of 2 years, as it allows suspended sentences, and to the increase of the limitation period, as in practice proving guilt after so many years is extremely difficult.
Grozdan Karadjov from ITN reminded that the prosecutor’s office has already stated in the Legal Commission that they will not deal with such a norm.
“Instead of dealing with empty propositions where we come up with some 50-year statute of limitations where prosecutions can resume, let’s raise the thresholds. Then there will really be prevention. Or we just want to create an opportunity and here to resume this very modern MeToo movement. None of the cases that were taken up in this mass campaign led to a conviction, but they led to ostracized, to canceled people,” commented Karadzhov.
According to the former Minister of Justice Atanas Slavov from PP-DB, it is normal for the statute of limitations for such crimes to be longer and this is the practice imposed in most countries.
“This is an increased form of protection for really the most vulnerable individuals in our society – the minors, the minors. They need this protection. And in turn, the investigative authorities need the necessary time to gather evidence, which of course is difficult when the crime was committed back in time,” Slavov pointed out.
Erol Emilov worked on the publication
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Tags: Parliament decided statute limitations sexual assaults increased years
