Women in France Demand Abolition of 20-Year Limit on Sexual Assault Cases

Mon Sep 14 2026 09:43:55 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

More than 50 women in France urgently call for the repeal of the statute of limitations that prevents them from prosecuting rape and assault claims.

A newly formed collective of over fifty women alleging sexual assault in France is demanding a change to the country’s 20‑year statute of limitations. The group cites victims of high‑profile figures, including ex‑model agent Jean‑Luc Brunel, the late billionaire Mohammed Al Fayed, and the late Jeffrey Epstein, as key examples of the law’s inadequacy. Survivors argue that legal timelines erase trauma, and several victims report that their cases were dismissed because the deadline passed, exemplifying the systemic barriers to justice. The appeal has drawn international attention, highlighting the need for legal reforms that hold perpetrators accountable regardless of time elapsed.

Women in France Demand Abolition of 20‑Year Limit on Sexual Assault Cases

Over 50 women across France have joined forces, forming the collective Survivors' Voices, to protest a law that limits bodily autonomy and legal recourse for sexual assault victims.

The group cites alleged abuse by high‑profile figures, including the late billionaire Mohammed Al Fayed, model agent Jean‑Luc Brunel and former U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. Brunel, who was found hanged in a prison cell in 2022 while under suspicion for the rape of minors, remains a central figure in the calls for reform.

Currently, French law allows a 20‑year period for adults to file sexual assault charges and a 30‑year window for minors. Survivors argue that such time limits effectively shut down justice by rendering many cases ineligible.

"Rape doesn’t expire, trauma doesn’t expire," says Thysia Husiman, who claims she was raped at age 18 by Brunel in Paris. A journalist’s plea grew louder when former BBC producer Lisa Brinkworth announced she would take her case to the European Court of Human Rights after her claim against Elite Models was dismissed for exceeding the statute of limitations.

Brinkworth, who was filmed undercover in 1998 for a BBC documentary exposing abusive practices in the fashion industry, said the BBC denied her vital evidence even after the program aired in 1999. The footage was part of a legally binding agreement that the BBC refuses to disclose.

BBC spokespersons have stated they have provided the necessary materials to French authorities and will continue assisting, but critics argue that institutional pressure and legal barriers persist.

Lisa Brinkworth posing for a photo in Paris on 18 March 2026 — **Lisa Brinkworth poses for a photograph in Paris on 18 March 2026.** *AFP via Getty Images*

The collective’s press conference highlighted the immediate need to eliminate the statute of limitations, asserting that the law’s existence creates a sense of injustice that the perpetrators are simply allowed to evade.