CHICAGO, Ill. – Two pieces of legislation have been signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker that, advocates say, will help victims of sexual assault.
One deals with a victim not being able to consent to sex while being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Kaylyn Anh was sexually assaulted last year in the Chicago suburbs after she had been drinking.
“In the following weeks, after I made my report, I received a call from the police sergeant, who told me that they would not investigate my case, because it did not qualify as rape under Illinois law,” said Anh. “He told me there was absolutely no way the prosecutor would ever pick up my case.”
The bill closed a loophole in state law that prevented such a report from happening.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had a beer, or a shot, or five. That’s your chouce. But, the assault was not,” said Pritzker. “We will no longer tolerate a justice system that confuses the two.”
The other measure deals with services that hospitals can provide to sexual assault victims, including at Federally Qualified Health Centers. It also expands for how long victims can receive treatment.
