Women in France Call to Abolish Sexual‑Assault Statute of Limitations

Mon Sep 14 2026 09:09:02 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Over 50 French women say a 20‑year limit bars their pursuit of justice, sparking a demand to repeal the law.

A coalition of more than 50 French survivors of alleged rape and sexual assault has come forward, demanding that France abolish the 20‑year statute of limitations that has prevented many from seeking justice. The group, called Survivors’ Voices, argues that the law creates a false sense of finality and that rape does not expire. Their campaign includes testimonies from high‑profile figures such as the late Jeffery Epstein, model agent Jean‑Luc Brunel, and defiant BBC producer Lisa Brinkworth, who faced the BBC’s refusal to release evidence from a 1999 documentary. The current law allows a 20‑year window for adults and 30 years for minors, prompting renewed debate about victim‑rights and accountability. The movement seeks not only legal change but a cultural shift that treats trauma as ongoing rather than time‑bound.

Women in France Call to Abolish Sexual‑Assault Statute of Limitations

Survivors’ Voices, a new collective of over 50 women alleging rape and sexual assault, staged a press conference demanding that France repeal its 20‑year statute of limitations.

The group articulated that the current law bars them from pursuing justice, saying it forces survivors to feel that “their case doesn’t matter simply because of the date.”

“Rape doesn’t expire, trauma doesn’t expire,” said Thysia Husiman, who claims she was raped at 18 in Paris by model agent Jean‑Luc Brunel, who was later found hanged in prison in 2022 on suspicion of minors’ trafficking.

The movement also cites Jeffrey Epstein and billionaire Mohamed Al‑Fayed as alleged perpetrators, underscoring the reach of the alleged abuse network.

Former BBC producer Lisa Brinkworth highlights the legal barriers that kept her from filing a police complaint about an alleged assault by Gerald Marie of Elite Model Management. She alleges her testimony was withheld while a documentary aired in 1999, and the case was dismissed because the 20‑year limit had expired.

Brinkworth also complained that the BBC denied her “vital evidence” from footage captured immediately after the assault. She is now pursuing her claim at the European Court of Human Rights.

The French legal framework currently sets a 20‑year limitation for adult victims and a 30‑year window for those who were minors at the time. Survivors’ Voices argue that such caps impede justice and signal that victims are dependent on the timing of their reports.

This collective action marks the first time that more than fifty women in France have united publicly to challenge a law that effectively lets alleged rapists escape accountability by mere chronology. Their advocacy seeks both legal reform and a broader shift toward recognising enduring trauma as an ongoing injustice that cannot simply be “forgotten” by the clock.