EU lawmakers seek to end time limit for child sex abuse cases

STRASBOURG, France: European lawmakers on Tuesday voted to abolish the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse as the bloc seeks to step up the fight against the crime.

Parliamentarians gathered in Strasbourg voted 599 to two to do away with time limits for victims to bring their abusers to justice. Last year the European Commission suggested setting a common minimum across Europe -- 20 or 30 years depending on the crime -- to allow equal access to justice, but lawmakers wanted to go further.

“There cannot be a deadline for justice when it comes to child sexual abuse,” said Dutch lawmaker Jeroen Lenaers, of the centre-right EPP group. The change to the commission proposal sets out the parliament´s position and will now have to be negotiated with member states.

Statutes of limitations vary widely among the EU´s 27 countries. Critics say short terms deprive victims of justice because many only speak up years later after the offence occurred and might find it impossible to mount a case.