Lawmaker casts sole vote against bill that would give more time for rape survivors to sue

SALEM, Ore. — State Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, cast the sole vote in Oregon's House of Representatives against a bill that several rape survivors passionately support.

"It's not popular to protect the accused but it is our job," Bynum told her fellow lawmakers last month.

The bill would extend the statute of limitations for survivors to file civil suits in sexual assault cases.

Right now adult victims of sex crimes have just two years to file a lawsuit. It's the same amount of time you have in Oregon to file a civil suit over damages from a car crash.

"Adult victims deserve options other than praying that the police do the right thing." Caitlin Speck explained to the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday, telling them she's a rape survivor. "The criminal justice system failed me in every possible way."

She and other sexual assault survivors said two years is not enough as they urged legislators to pass House Bill 3293.

"I don't commit crimes," said Brenda Tracy, an activist and rape survivor. " I help other people and I expect as an Oregonian when a crime is committed against me that I have access to the justice systems in our state.And I feel like I would except for the fact that I'm the victim of a rape."

"I do wish I could face my perpetrator in court," said Olivia Welch, another rape survivor, "and have the closure of a jury of my peers acknowledging that what happened to me, it was real and that it was wrong. I know that will never happen, but I hope that by the passing of HB 3293 other women and men will have the opportunity for healing."

Citing U.S. Justice Department statistics, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) says out of every 1,000 rapes 995 perpetrators will walk free.

That's part of why survivors said having the option to file a civil lawsuit is so important.

"Time and a lot of it is what it took for me to be able to comprehend what had happened and how it affected me," said Welch.

On April 24, Bynum was the only lawmaker in the House to vote against the bill during a floor vote.

"We're doing people an injustice by extending the amount of time," Bynum told legislators. "The ability for someone to regain their integrity, their position in the community once they've been accused of something that perhaps they didn't do, I think is an important consideration. And it is particularly an important consideration in the African-American community."

Bynum also said there should be a broader discussion about how long a person should be required to remember events as they try to defend themselves.

The bill originally extended the statute of limitations to seven years but on Monday was scaled back to five. It's due for a vote in the state Senate and after that, it will head back to the House.