REPORT
Statutes of Limitations and Sexual Violence Against Children: Findings from the Global ‘Our Voice’ Survivor Survey with a Case Study on Finnish Survivors’ Experiences
This report explores the experiences of survivors of sexual violence in childhood with disclosure, with a view to informing the reform of laws and regulations concerning the statute of limitations for crimes of sexual violence against children. As victims of childhood sexual violence often need decades to process trauma and disclose the abuse they have been subjected to, short and varying statutes of limitations for crimes of sexual violence against children prevent victims and survivors from accessing justice and seeking remedies.
We present the responses of adult survivors of childhood sexual violence to the global ‘Our Voice’ survivor survey and a specific case study on Finnish survivors. In the context of legal reform, it is crucial that the voices of those impacted are not merely acknowledged but taken into a leading role in shaping the discourse.
This report has been research and written by Anna Katariina Ovaska, Tegan Insoll, Katariina Leivo, Eva Díaz Bethencourt, Dr. Hanna Lahtinen, Matilda Sandvik & Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen.
© Suojellaan Lapsia, Protect Children ry. 2023.