Washington, D.C. - RAINN released the following statement after filing an amicus brief in the matter of Snyder-Hill v. OSU, attached to this email, in support of survivors who experienced sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss while students at Ohio State University:

“At the heart of this case is the right of survivors of sexual violence to access the justice system and to have their day in court. We stand with these courageous survivors, the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV), the National Crime Victims Law Institute (NCVLI), and CHILD USA, and respectfully submit this amicus calling on the court to reverse its decision, which barred these survivors from pursuing justice on the basis of an arbitrary deadline.” - Camille Cooper, vice president of public policy, RAINN

RAINN is grateful for the assistance of pro bono counsel, law firm Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick, for their work on this brief.

Additional Background on RAINN’s Legislative Work in Ohio

In addition to filing this amicus brief in support of the survivors in the OSU case, RAINN has been working diligently on H.B. 266, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of and civil action against rapists. H.B. 266 would also extend the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil action. Finally, H.B 266 would eliminate the spousal exception in rape cases. RAINN has also been working on H.B. 121 in Ohio, which would eliminate the spousal exception in cases of rape, sexual battery, and child sexual abuse and allow a person to testify against their spouse in these cases.

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About RAINN

RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, help organizations improve their sexual assault prevention and response programs, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, free, confidential help is available 24/7 by calling 800.656.HOPE (4673) or visiting online.rainn.org.