Israeli Law Expands Family Definition to Include Cousins in Sexual Abuse Statute of Limitations

The Israeli Constitution Committee approved a bill on Monday to expand the legal definition of "family member" to include cousins in cases of sexual abuse, allowing victims to file lawsuits years after the abuse occurred under certain conditions. This joint coalition and opposition bill is expected to be voted on by the Knesset plenum later this week. The legislation introduces a special provision regarding the statute of limitations for sexual assault and child abuse claims within families.

The bill was inspired by the story of the late Yehonatan Levin, who was sexually abused as a child by his cousin but was unable to file a claim before his death from cancer because cousins were not previously included in the family definition for limitation purposes. Yehonatan’s mother, Pnina Levin, emotionally addressed the committee, describing how Yehonatan kept the abuse secret for 23 years until shortly before his death from liver cancer.

Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman called the bill a fitting conclusion to the Knesset session, noting it passed with unanimous support from both coalition and opposition members. MK Merav Michaeli, one of the bill’s initiators, said that while the statute of limitations should be abolished entirely, this expansion is a vital step that can save lives.

Currently, the statute of limitations applies when abuse is committed by a family member or a person responsible for the victim. The bill extends this to include cousins. For abuse against minors, special statute of limitations rules already apply regardless of the perpetrator’s identity. Two weeks ago, the Knesset also approved a related bill extending the statute of limitations for sexual offenses against minors until the victim turns 48, and until 49 for offenses within families or involving close authority figures, acknowledging the unique challenges victims face in revealing such abuse.