Kansas Governor Sam Brownback on Monday signed into law a bill that changes the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape cases.

Kansas is among 10 states that required rape cases to be prosecuted within five years.

 

The new law also allows for prosecution of a sexually violent crime within 10 years if the victim is at least 18 years old. For younger victims, prosecution would begin within one year of the date the suspect is identified through DNA testing, or within 10 years of the victim’s 18th birthday, whichever is later.

Rape victims say the change in the law helps them with their healing after the crime.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt issued the following statement on Governor Brownback’s signing of House Bill 2252:

“As technology has improved in areas such as DNA evidence, our ability to successfully prosecute perpetrators has increased. This new law will allow prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to bring these cases forward whenever sufficient evidence is available without an artificial time limit.”