Experts Warn of EU 'Postcode Lottery' for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
A new analysis of statutes of limitations across EU member states reveals a highly fragmented legal framework for reporting child sexual abuse crimes. The study's authors urge the complete removal of time limits for reporting these offenses.
According to the US-based think tank CHILD Global and victim advocacy groups, the allowable period for victims to come forward with reports of childhood sexual abuse varies significantly depending on the victim’s country of birth within the EU.
"The period of time a victim has to report being sexually abused as a child greatly depends on where they were born in the EU."
Owen Carpenter-Zehe, a junior US reporter at EUobserver specializing in European politics, contributed to this coverage.
Call to Abolish Reporting Time-Limits
The authors of the analysis emphasize that strict time limits hinder justice and recommend eliminating these statutes of limitations entirely for child sexual abuse cases.
Legal Inconsistencies Across Member States
- Statutes of limitations vary widely between EU countries.
- Victims in some nations face very limited windows to report abuse.
- This inconsistency creates a "postcode lottery" impacting victims’ access to justice.
Summary
The EU's uneven time restrictions for reporting childhood sexual abuse create unequal access to justice, prompting experts to call for abolishing such limits altogether.
Would you like the summary to be more formal or conversational?