Q: Can a girl that was 15 and experienced 1st degree sexual assault x’s in 2008 by a man in his 40’s still file charges
This man also harassed her when she married and moved to California in the years following up to 2014. The initial occasions of assaults at age 15/16 definitely qualify for 1st degree… I understand this would depend on the police and prosecutor but she doesn’t want to put herself through the trauma of reporting if it’s past the statue of limitations and itwon’t help other girls which we are pretty confident exist.
A: Individuals don't "file" charges. The decision to charge comes from the prosecuting attorney in the county where the offense occurred. The allegations can be reported to law enforcement. The allegations would be investigated and a determination would be made by the prosecuting attorney if charges fall within the statute of limitations and if they are appropriate.
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