PRESS

LET’S END CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 12, 2024 

MEDIA CONTACTS

For CHILD GLOBAL 

John Kim | jkim@skdknick.com 

For Brave Movement 

Lucy Mutawe| lmutawe@bravemovement.org 

For Derecho al Tiempo

Vinka Jackson | vinka.jackson@gmail.com   

Landmark Report Reveals Urgency in Eliminating Criminal Statutes of Limitations for Child Sex Abuse in Latin America

New Report Highlights How to Combat Disturbing Trend of Catholic Church Relocating Abusive Priests Within Latin America and U.S.

 

(Philadelphia, PA) – Today, the Global Statute of Limitations Reform Task Force (“Global SOL Reform Task Force”), a joint partnership of CHILD GLOBAL and the Brave Movement, in collaboration with Derecho al Tiempo, released their landmark report advocating for the complete abolition of criminal statutes of limitations (SOLs) and concordat agreements for all child sexual abuse (CSA) crimes in Latin America.

Titled “Criminal Statutes of Limitation in Latin America,” the report provides a comprehensive review of laws and regulations pertaining to SOLs and other barriers to accountability for CSA crimes across 19 Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. While acknowledging the significant strides made by some Latin American countries in reforming criminal SOLs for child sex crimes, the report underscores the urgent need for abolishing SOLs for all types of CSA crimes to empower victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

“Statute of limitations reform serves as a beacon of hope for survivors of child sex abuse and represents a critical step in combating the global epidemic of this abhorrent crime. Our Latin America Report sheds light on the barriers to justice, offering a roadmap for meaningful change in every country. This change isn’t just about delivering justice to survivors but also safeguarding future generations of children,” said Marci Hamilton, Founder and CEO of CHILD GLOBAL and Chair of the Global SOL Reform Task Force. “SOL reform not only empowers survivors, but it also helps identify perpetrators and educates the public to bolster child safety. The pressing need to abolish criminal SOLs is evidenced by the science of delayed disclosure, the persistent recidivism of serial abusers, and the alarming global prevalence of abuse. No survivor of child sex abuse should ever be denied justice due to outdated laws, and it’s imperative to take action on SOL reform. That is why CHILD GLOBAL is expanding its mission, transitioning from domestic to global SOL reform efforts, to eliminate SOLs and pave a path to justice for survivors worldwide.”

Dr. Miguel Hurtado Calvo, Co-Chair of the Global SOL Reform Task Force, added, “This report serves as a wake-up call to lawmakers and policymakers across Latin America, urging them to prioritize the well-being of survivors and enact meaningful reforms that protect the most vulnerable among us. The time for change is now. By eliminating statutes of limitations for child sex crimes, we can ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and victims have access to justice, paving the way for a safer future for our children.”

“As an advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of restrictive statutes of limitations on victims’ ability to seek justice,” said Vinka Jackson, founder and creator of Derecho al Tiempo. “This landmark report sheds light on the urgent need for legal reforms in Latin America to protect our children and empower survivors. By abolishing criminal SOLs, we can break the cycle of impunity and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes, regardless of when they occurred.”

The relocation of abusive priests within Latin America has long been a disturbing trend, wherein individuals accused of child sexual abuse are often moved from one parish to another, evading accountability and leaving countless victims in their wake. By abolishing criminal statutes of limitations (SOLs) for child sex abuse crimes, governments can effectively prosecute perpetrators, regardless of the time elapsed since the offense, thereby dismantling the mechanisms that enable such relocations and cover-ups. 

Key findings from the report:

  • Chile, El Salvador, and Mexico are leaders in the region, having eliminated criminal statutes of limitations for child sex crimes, providing victims the opportunity to seek justice whenever they are ready to come forward.
  • Brazil and the Dominican Republic have the worst laws with the most restrictive criminal statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse.
  • The trauma associated with child sex abuse often leads to delayed disclosure, with victims taking decades to report their abuse, emphasizing the necessity of extended or eliminated statutes of limitations.
  • The report underscores the critical role of SOL reform in providing victims with the tools needed to bring criminals to justice and raise awareness about the prevalence of child sex abuse.

This report comes at a crucial time when countries across South and Central America are reevaluating their legal frameworks to better protect children and survivors of abuse. Since the Global SOL Reform Task Force’s previous report released in 2022, Mexico, which received an E-ranking, has since reformed their SOL laws to eliminate statutes of limitations for rape and sexual abuse of children under 18 years old, for commercial sexual exploitation of a child (CSEC), for production of child sex abuse material (CSAM), for child corruption, and for distributing pornography to a child.  

To view the full report and for more information on the Global Statute of Limitations Reform Task Force, visit here

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About CHILD GLOBAL

CHILD GLOBAL is the leading think tank in the world to document, research, and analyze SOL reform for CSA victims, with a proven track record in the United States, Scotland, and Chile — where the movement was led by Task Force member Vinka Jackson and Derecho al Tiempo. CHILD GLOBAL supplies the intellectual assets to open the door for victims’ access to justice. Its role in the Task Force is to provide its expertise and the creation of a global dashboard to inform the public about SOL reform around the globe. Visit https://childusa.org/international-law/ for more information. 

About Brave Movement 

Hosted by Together for Girls, the Brave Movement is a survivor-led global movement campaigning to end childhood sexual violence. 14 powerful survivors and allied partners lead it. It is demanding bold and transformative action to mobilize billions for programs focused on prevention, healing and justice worldwide, abolish statutes of limitation in every nation, and create a safer internet for children.

About Derecho al Tiempo

A civil society organization that led for over a decade the efforts to approve the groundbreaking 2019 law that abolished the criminal statute of limitations for child sex offences in Chile. Based on the principles of the ethic of care and “the right to time” it advocates for the advancement of children’s rights and to implement laws and policies that strengthen education, prevention, healing and justice in the field of child sexual abuse. 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

February 2, 2024

For more information: Marci Hamilton, 215-353-8984

CHILD USA AND CHILD USAdvocacy WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR the STOP CSAM ACT AFTER RECENT AMENDMENTS

Following the grilling of the Tech Giants by Senators this week, CHILD USA endorsed three bills to push back against their abject failures to protect children: The STOP CSAM Act of 2023, the EARN IT Act, and KOSA.  We stand by the latter two, but new information leads us to now denounce the STOP CSAM ACT of 2023.

Before getting into the details, we want to make this absolutely clear:  Big Tech has endangered our children for profit, and it is irrational to think they can be trusted to become protective of children.  The ONLY people who can create a safety net for children from online harm are members of Congress.  Lawmakers harshly questioned Tech’s representatives like Mark Zuckerbeg on Wednesday, but they must pass the EARN IT Act and KOSA to actually make children safer.

While the STOP CSAM Act has some good elements, Sec. 2255A was amended on January 16 to include a poison pill that was clearly drafted by Big Tech’s lobbyists: to bring a lawsuit for the harm done, the victim must prove the online service provider acted intentionally.  That is a virtually impossible standard for the victims to meet.  

The STOP CSAM Act may look good but don’t be fooled—with Sec. 2255A it is a gift to Mark Zuckerberg and all the rest so they can continue to make money while shutting the many victims they have created out of court.  It should be called the Immunize Big Tech Act.  

James Marsh, Chair of the CHILD USA Board of Directors is the leading expert on these issues and has written a blog in which he says that the so-called Stop CSAM Act is the worst bill for crime victims in 30 years: “Congress says it wants a reckoning with big tech—the new traffickers and criminals exploiting our children. Sadly, Stop CSAM doesn’t make things better, it makes things worse.  Imagine a world where, in order to hold the Catholic Church accountable, the bishop would need to know that a child was being raped and that he had 48 hours to stop the rape which was occurring. If the bishop did not know about each individual occurrence of child rape, the Church could not be held responsible.”

Marci Hamilton, Founder and CEO of CHILD USA, states, “Any lawmaker that chooses to move on the STOP CSAM Act is choosing to endanger even more children in the online space and to let big tech continue to obscenely profit from children’s deaths.  How tragic it would be after the tough talk at the hearing for lawmakers to now serve big tech’s interests and codify no justice for the victims and their families.”

CHILD USA and CHILD USAdvocacy urge lawmakers to take a child-centered approach to this horrific 21st-century problem.  Pass the EARN IT Act and KOSA.  

Despite its name, Senators supporting the STOP CSAM Act with Sec. 2255A is a gift to Big Tech and a guarantee more kids and families will suffer.

 

 

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