ECPAT International, together with The Brave Movement and Together for Girls has issued a powerful open letter urging governments worldwide to abolish statutes of limitations for sexual crimes against children.
Signed by 90 child rights organisations around the world, including World Vision International, Plan International, Family for Every Child, Defence for Children International, Child Helpline International, and ISPCAN (International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), the letter warns that arbitrary legal time limits deny survivors of childhood sexual violence their right to justice and protect perpetrators from accountability.
“No survivor should ever be told that it’s too late to seek justice,” said Guillaume Landry, Executive Director of ECPAT International. “Statutes of limitations on sexual crimes against children silence survivors, shield abusers, and undermine global commitments to children’s rights. Governments must act now to remove these procedural and legal barriers.”
The open letter follows a landmark vote by the European Parliament, which in June 2025 approved the abolition of time limits for prosecuting child sexual abuse and exploitation offences across the EU. Advocates say this sets a critical precedent for global action.
Survivors of sexual abuse often need years, even decades, before they can disclose what happened due to trauma, stigma, and fear. Yet when they finally speak out, too many are met with closed doors because the law prevents legal action.
The coalition calls on all governments to:
- Abolish statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse and exploitation crimes.
- Ensure survivor-centred justice systems, with trauma-informed processes that protect dignity, safety, and support.
- Align with international standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Justice must never expire,” said Landry. “Removing time limits is a vital step towards accountability, healing, and ensuring no perpetrator can hide behind the clock.”
The open letter continues to gather further endorsements from civil society organisations, survivor networks, and advocacy groups worldwide.
Read the full open letter here.
Endorsing organisations:
- “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center
- Advocating the Rights of Children
- Agarrados à Net
- All Survivors Project
- Alliance for Immunisation and Health
- ARALMA – Argentina
- Association Mauritanienne pour la Santé de la Mère et de l’Enfant (AMSME)
- ASTRA – Anti-Trafficking Action
- Barnahus – Georgia
- BAYTI
- BIFERD
- Børns Vilkår
- CAMELEON Association
- Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Croatia
- Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID)
- Centrs Dardedze
- Child Helpline International
- Child Rights Centre Albania
- Child Rights Group Pakistan Pediatric Association
- ChildFund Alliance
- Children of India Foundation
- ChildSafeNet
- ChildX
- Coalition ChildSafetyON France
- Connect Children Now (DCI – Lebanon)
- Defence for Children – Liberia
- Defence for Children International
- Defence for Children International – Canada
- Defence for Children International – Italia
- Defence for Children International – Palestine
- Defence for Children International – Sierra Leone
- Defensa de Niñas y Niños – Internacional (DNI – Costa Rica)
- Défense des Enfants International Belgique (DEI – Belgique)
- Democracy School (DCI – Yemen)
- ECPAT Belgium
- ECPAT Germany
- ECPAT Switzerland
- ECPAT Türkiye
- ECPAT UK
- Egyptian Foundation for Advancement of the Childhood Condition (DCI-Egypt)
- Elien Rebirth & Ethelios
- Enough Abuse Campaign Sierra Leone
- Faith, Hope, Love
- Family for Every Child
- FENADEB
- Fondazione SOS il Telefono Azzurro ETS
- Free a Girl Netherlands
- Fundación ANAR
- Global Justice Intelligence Eyes
- Good Thinkers Organization
- Hands Against Child Marriage
- Healing Together Uganda
- Hintalovon Foundation (ECPAT Hungary)
- IFM-SEI (International Falcon Movement – Socialist Educational International)
- Ignite Philanthropy
- Imagine1day
- Innocence in Danger
- Instituto de Apoio à Criança
- International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC)
- International Justice Mission – Deutschland
- International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI)
- International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN)
- Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC)
- Islamic Relief Bangladesh
- Kék Vonal Gyermekkrízis Alapítvány – Hungary
- Marie Collins Foundation
- MenAsWell
- Missing Children Europe
- My Body Is My Body Foundation
- Neglected Children and Women Foundation (ECPAT Bulgaria)
- Network for Children’s Rights (Greece)
- Plan International
- Projecto MiudosSegurosNa.Net
- Protect Children ry
- Public Health Foundation of Georgia
- RBC Trust (Stop Global Movement)
- Rede da Criança
- RENEW – Bhutan
- SEJIWA Foundation – Indonesia
- Shakti Samuha
- Starfish Ministries Colorado
- Stiftung Digitale Chancen – Digital Opportunities Foundation Germany
- SUSTAIN Cameroon
- Terre des Hommes Netherlands
- The First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi – Macedonia
- The Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures
- The Smile of the Child
- Thorn
- Ubuchingo Defence for Children International Zambia (DCI – Zambia)
- Victim Support Europe
- World Vision International
- Youth for Peace and Dialogue Between Cultures
- YouthKommunity
