Vote "yes" on this bill. Abusing a child is one of the most despicable crimes, and there is no reason to have a statute of limitations. Children are too young to speak up, sometimes the memories get cordoned off in the mind to protect themselves, and the average age to speak up is 52. If you vote "no", then you are protecting the abuser instead of the abused. A man spoke at a previous presentation of this bill to say that if you remove the statute of limitation, then it might cost more for insurance for some companies. Well, Virginia legislators, who are you protecting? The child victims, the abuser or the companies? You should protect the child victims and vote "yes." If insurance companies gouge customers, then maybe that's who legislators should target. When a child is abused, the crime last forever, so there should be no limitation in punishing the abuser.

I would like to express my opposition to this bill. To my understanding, if the evidence does not meet the bar of a "beyond a reasonable doubt", the evidence can still be used in civil proceedings for protections for the child and custody proceedings, etc, especially if the child's parents/guardians were notified as per law and wish to pursue civil means of justice and/or an IIED suit, etc. Was this considered by the committee? Thank you, Elyse Osterweil MRCI (Mothers Reform Child Injustices)