HELENA — A bill to change Montana’s child sexual abuse laws, including lifting the statute of limitations for prosecuting such crimes, was signed by the governor.
The bill , sponsored by Democratic Rep. Shane Morigeau, also extends the amount of time a victim of child sexual assault has to file a civil lawsuit against their abuser. It also opens a one-year window of opportunity for victims to file lawsuits, even if the statute of limitations has otherwise expired.
The changes were sparked by two eastern Montana cases that frustrated prosecutors, including one in which DNA testing identified a suspect in a 1987 child rape, but he couldn’t be prosecuted because the match was made after the statute of limitations had expired.
The bill, signed Tuesday, also makes it a felony for mandatory child abuse reporters to fail to report sexual abuse.