In 1994, Penal Code section 803, subdivision (g) was enacted, extending the statute of limitations in certain sexual offenses to one year after a report to law enforcement by a person of any age that he or she has been the victim of a sexual offense while under the age of 18. In 1996, Penal Code section 803, subdivision (g) was amended to apply to a cause of action arising before, on, or after January 1, 1994, and “if the complaint is filed within the time period specified in this subdivision, it shall revive any cause of action barred by Section 800 or 801.” The court concluded, as a matter of statutory interpretation, that section 803, subdivision (g) permitted the prosecution of crimes allegedly committed 25 to 43 years earlier than the filing of a 1998 complaint.
Case Summaries