Senate Snarled Over Wording Of Rape Bill

The state Senate’s attempts to say an adult who remembers being raped as a child cannot file criminal charges faces stiff opposition from some leaders of the Missouri House. The snarl exists because the legislature last year flubbed the writing of a rape and sodomy law and mistakenly said rape charges could not be filed three years after the crime. Now, the Senate says the charges could be filed anytime, but only if the victim had made a police report, filed a criminal complaint, or provided medical evidence within three years of the attack. But the House co-sponsor of the bill, Representative Ralph Monaco ofRaytown, says that’s inconsistent. And, the other house co-sponsor, Craig Hosmer of Springfield, says the Senate’s proposal is unfair to rape victims. The two also argue the Senate’s provisions are so vague that the courts are likely to declare the bill unconstitutional.