Criminal statutes of limitation in Latin America

This report (only available in Spanish) is a follow-up to the 2024 report Criminal statutes of limitation in Latin America, available below. 

It explores why statutes of limitations (SOLs) for child sexual abuse crimes must be abolished worldwide and provides country-specific analysis of the state of SOLs across Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Andorra. It concludes with recommendations for these states to put an end to these time limits.

Survivors and advocates in Latin America are at the forefront of the global battle to empower victims and protect children by extending and/or eliminating criminal statutes of limitations (SOLs) for child sexual abuse crimes.

When criminal SOLs are eliminated, victims and survivors are able to identify more abusers, obtain justice, and educate the public about this scourge. Survivors of childhood sexual violence often only come forward decades after their experience, which allows perpetrators to continue offending well into their elder years. When victims and survivors are able to access justice, our whole society benefits.

This report showcases the criminal SOLs reform landscape, provides an overview of the status of SOLs in Latin America and ranks all countries in the region based on their stance on SOLs.