Molested children often become troubled adults. The emotional damage they sustain sometimes haunts them all their lives. Unfortunately, some people believe that a sex crime that happened twenty years ago should be swept under the rug and forgotten.
But not Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions for the United Kingdom. Saunders has received some media attention for bringing to trial cases that some people characterize as "historic." The word "historic" in this case is hurtful to victims of sexual abuse and assault because it suggests that the crimes committed against them happened too far in the past for anyone to care about.
This decision has particular implications for victims of sexual assault who may have been too scared or traumatized to seek justice immediately after the crime. Or they may have lacked confidence in the judicial system, possibly for good reasons.
Tell the Crown Prosecution Service that you support the decision to prosecute "historic" sex crimes.
Dear Crown Prosecution Service,
We the undersigned believe that known sex crimes should be punished, regardless of when they happened.
We specifically support the work of Alison Saunders who has had the bravery to bring to trial cases that others deem "historic." Past sex crimes have often gone unprosecuted for a number of reasons. Sometimes the victim is scared to speak out. If the victim is a child, he or she may not be believed. The criminal may use his wealth or social prominence to shield himself from the consequences of his crime.
Whatever the circumstances, we believe that it is never too late to bring sex criminals to justice. Please continue to try sex crimes whether or not the statute of limitations still applies.
