State rep. hopes to end statute of limitations for felony sex crimes

Washington State Representative Dan Griffey is introducing legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations for felony sex crimes. This is the fourth time the Republican has pushed the bill, which is a highly personal issue for him.

“My wife is a sexual assault survivor. Her monster was her stepfather, who abused her for years,” Griffey told The Jason Rantz Show. “My daughter went to Alaska — as a lot of Washingtonians do when they try to break free from their family — to earn some money in the fisheries, and was forcibly raped and left for dead at the side of the road.”

“It’s by the grace of God that we still have her,” he added.

RELATED: King County Sexual Assault Hotline calls up 140 percent over last 24 hours

Last year the bill ended up not making it past the state Senate. The current incarnation of House Bill 1234 aims to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex crimes including rape, incest, child molestation, and the sex abuse of a minor for commercial purposes.

“Now, I like to say that my family is thousands strong. Sexual assault survivors call me and tell me their stories, and we cry together. I listen and I try to articulate their stories every chance I get,” Griffey said. “When I dropped the bill, hundreds and now we’re up to thousands called the office. I think we’re going in the right direction.”

Since many sex criminals are serial offenders, Griffey hopes to aid prevention by giving law enforcement and prosecutors modern evidence-gathering tools, in order to bring charges against older sex crimes.

“It’s imperative to our children, imperative to the people we love the most and those most vulnerable that the monsters go away. Let’s give our law enforcement and first responders those tools to make it happen.”

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