A powerful coalition of French rape survivors is demanding the abolition of the statute of limitations for sexual violence, a move that has reignited calls for similar reform in Britain. The campaign, led by victims who say the current 20-year time limit denies them justice, argues that the trauma of rape often prevents victims from coming forward until decades later. In France, where the statute of limitations for rape is 30 years for adults and 40 for minors, activists say these periods are still too short. Their demand: no time limit at all.
The French movement has already won parliamentary attention, with President Macron expressing openness to review the law. But in Britain, where the time limit for reporting rape is effectively unlimited in law but limited in practice by police and prosecution guidelines, survivors and legal experts are asking whether the French push could inspire change here.
Harriet Jones, a survivor who reported her rape in 2019 – 15 years after the attack – told the Guardian: “I couldn’t speak for years. The idea that I had a limited window to get justice was terrifying. Even now, many women are told their cases are too old to pursue. The French survivors are right: justice should have no expiry date.”
Women’s rights groups in the UK have long campaigned for the removal of time limits, which they say disproportionately affect victims of childhood abuse and those who only find the strength to report after decades of silence. “The statute of limitations is a barrier to justice,” says Alice Thompson, founder of the collective Voices for Justice. “It protects perpetrators, not survivors. The French debate shows we can do better.”
But legal experts caution that unlimited time frames would create practical challenges. Evidence can degrade over decades, witnesses may die, and memories fade. “There’s a tension between the desire for justice and the need for a fair trial,” says Professor David Smith of the London School of Economics. “The French approach would require a fundamental shift in how we handle historical cases.”
Currently, England and Wales have no statutory time limit for reporting rape, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidelines effectively discourage cases where the delay is years or decades, unless there is compelling evidence. In Scotland, the time limit on prosecution for rape was removed in 2010, but cases are still subject to the “corroboration” rule, which requires independent evidence – a hurdle many victims struggle to meet.
The French campaign has also highlighted the broader issue of cultural attitudes. In both countries, the #MeToo movement has emboldened survivors to speak out, but many still fear not being believed. “The statute of limitations sends a message that after a certain point, your pain no longer matters,” says Marie Dupont, a French survivor leading the abolition campaign. “We refuse to accept that.”
In Westminster, Labour MP Stella Creasy has said the French debate “should be a wake-up call for the UK government”. She is calling for a review of CPS guidelines and for consideration of a model where there is no time limit for serious sexual offences. “The criminal justice system must evolve to meet the reality of trauma,” Creasy said.
Yet the government has so far resisted any major overhaul. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Rape is among the most devastating crimes, and we are committed to supporting victims. Any change to time limits would need to balance the interests of justice and fairness for defendants.”
Campaigners argue that such caution ignores the medical and psychological evidence that trauma can take decades to process. The French movement, which has seen thousands of women testify in public hearings, has forced that country to confront the issue head-on. Now, British activists are asking: will we do the same?
As the French parliament considers a bill to abolish the statute of limitations, the eyes of survivors across the Channel are fixed on the outcome. For them, it is not just a legal technicality. It is about whether the law will ever recognize their suffering.
