ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

The committee for legislation approved a bill to make it illegal to destroy samples taken from victims of sexual assault on Sunday.

As the law currently stands, the police has up to three months to find a DNA match from samples taken from victims. After three months the samples are destroyed, ruining the chances of proving the guilt of the perpetrator.

This bill is meant to change the procedure in order to allow the victim access to full legal proceedings without a time limit.

This will allow victims who do not come forward immediately to potentially get justice.

"I am aware of the mental condition and the difficulties faced by victims of sexual violence," said MK Merav Ben-Ari, who submitted the bill. "I welcome the committee's decision," she said about the approval of the bill.

In a statement Yael Sherer, director of The Lobby for War on Sexual Violence said: "After years of obscurity and lack of order, we are excited to work with MK Ben-Ari to finally bring clarity to the topic and we thank her for her dedication and attention to the victims of sexual violence"

This is only the first stage of four that the bill will have to pass to become a law.