Justice Delayed — the Crime Victim Protection Project
A reform that requires long-term commitment —
judicial reform and the protection of victims' rights have never been a sprint
The core goal of the Crime Victim Protection Project is to repair the current system's protection of crime victims' rights. Its two core demands are as follows:
1. Extending the criminal statute of limitations for minor victims of sexual crimes
Since victims in such cases often need more time to overcome psychological trauma, the current statute of limitations frequently means that by the time they reach adulthood and are able to face what happened, they can no longer hold the perpetrators accountable. The limitation period must therefore be extended to realize judicial justice.
2. Relaxing the time limit for crime victims to claim compensation
The past system often left victims rejected for exceeding the time limit. In addition to adding exceptions to the limitation period, this project is committed to promoting retroactive application of the law, so that victims who were denied compensation under an unreasonable system can once again receive the compensation and benefits they deserve.
In 2025, on the issue of the statute of limitations for minor victims of sexual assault, we submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Constitutional Court and published a civil society draft bill for legislative advocacy in support of victims. Subsequently, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare each accepted our ideas and followed up with draft bills of their own.
Through lobbying efforts such as agency visits and press conferences, we successfully persuaded the Ministry of Justice to introduce a draft bill in 2026 relaxing the time limit for crime victim compensation, which promises to resolve the contradiction whereby the limitation period is currently too short and victims sometimes have their compensation applications rejected even though their cases have been prosecuted. At the same time, we also successfully prompted the Ministry of Justice to propose a rare retroactivity clause, so that past victims will not become orphans of the compensation system because of loopholes in it. We have also submitted further amendment opinions, hoping the protection of victims can be made even more complete.
When a childhood sexual assault victim grows up and finally musters the courage to file a complaint, and the prosecutor indicts the perpetrator, the same state apparatus nevertheless rejects the victim's application on the grounds that the time limit for claiming compensation has passed. Over nearly nineteen years, an estimated 1,040 victims have been left with nowhere to turn for this reason.
The most inspiring recent achievement came on July 7, 2026, when the Legislative Yuan finally passed the third reading extending the statute of limitations for minor victims of sexual assault to begin running from age 20!
But the reform is not over, and we will keep monitoring:
☑️ Amend Article 80 of the Criminal Code so that the statute of limitations for minor victims of sexual assault runs from age 20
⬜ Amend the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act to extend the statute of limitations for offenses involving sexual intercourse or indecent acts
⬜ Follow the Constitutional Court's review of the statute of limitations case, tracking its progress and assisting individuals and groups in submitting amicus briefs
⬜ Amend the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act to extend the time limit for claiming victim compensation
⬜ Amend the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act so that victims unreasonably denied compensation in the past are covered retroactively
⬜ Amend the Civil Code to extend the civil claim period for minor victims of sexual assault
Judicial reform and the protection of victims' rights have never been a sprint, but rather work that requires long-term commitment.
We therefore especially invite everyone to support JRF through regular monthly donations, becoming a stable and vital force for institutional reform.
Your support enables us to keep monitoring the system, proposing legislative advocacy, and speaking up for victims. For those who support this project with a regular monthly plan, we will send you our judicial reform action updates, sharing how each reform is being pushed forward and implemented step by step.
◎How to donate
✦ Donate NT$600 monthly for 12 months and receive one ticket to the 31st Anniversary Gratitude Banquet + judicial reform action updates
✦ Donate NT$1,000 monthly for 12 months and receive one ticket to the 31st Anniversary Gratitude Banquet + judicial reform action updates + a commemorative flash drive
◎Banquet information
❙ Time: September 19, 2026 （Saturday）, doors open at 11:30
❙ Venue: Cosmos World Trade Building｜Banquet Hall（3F, No. 1, Sec. 5, Hsinyi Rd., Hsinyi Dist., Taipei）
✹ For full details of the Gratitude Banquet, please see the official website page.
✹ To purchase a single banquet ticket, please visit this page.
※Fundraising Permit No.: Wei-Bu-Jiu-Zi No. 1151361186