Statute of limitations for child sex crimes to be extended

Taipei, May 11 (CNA) The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has announced draft amendments that would change the starting point for the statute of limitations in sexual assault cases involving minors to when a victim turns 20.

The proposed amendments to the Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act and the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act are intended to ensure victims can seek justice after gaining a better understanding of their victimization and having greater resources to speak out, Kuo Tsai-jung (郭彩榕), director-general of the MOHW's Department of Protective Services, said Sunday.

Under current regulations, the statute of limitations begins from the date the offense was committed, making it difficult for victims abused as minors to pursue legal action after reaching adulthood, Kuo said.

In many cases, perpetrators are adults familiar to the victims, leaving victims unable to speak out because of unequal power dynamics or dependency relationships, she added.

The draft amendments will undergo a 30-day public notice period before being reviewed by the Cabinet and submitted to the Legislature.

Kuo said the amendments align with a separate Cabinet proposal in January to revise the Criminal Code that also addresses the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases involving minors.

Currently, the statute of limitations in Taiwan for sex crimes involving minors varies depending on the type of offense.

The proposed amendments also revise liability provisions for internet service providers by shortening the deadline for removing sexually explicit content.

Under the draft, service providers would be required to remove illegal nonconsensual sexual content and sexually explicit material involving minors within 24 hours of notification, while explicit content involving adults would have to be removed within 72 hours, Kuo said.

She added that while such measures are already implemented through administrative regulations, the amendments would elevate them into statutory law to provide a stronger legal basis.