Are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims still in time to declare the victimising events they suffered?

Depends. Firstly, it is essential to note that Law 2421 of 2024 amended Law 1448 of 2011, including Article 155 which established the deadlines for registration in the Single Register of Victims. In this sense, article 155 of Law 1448 of 2011, modified by Law 2421 of 2024, established new deadlines for registration in the Single Registry of Victims, such that: "Victims must submit a statement to the Public Prosecutor's Office within four (4) years of the enactment of this law for those who have been victimised prior to that time, and within three (3) years of the occurrence of the act for those victimised after the law came into force".

This article also establishes that persons who consider themselves victims according to the definition in article 3 and whose application for inclusion in the Unified Registry of Victims has been denied for having made a declaration out of time, may submit their declaration within 24 months of the enactment of the Law, that is, until 22 August 2026.

It follows from the above that those persons who are victims of the armed conflict before the enactment of Law 2421 of 2024, i.e. before 22 August 2022, have a period of 4 years from this date to submit their statement to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Those persons who are victims of the armed conflict after 22 August 2022 have a period of 3 years from the date of the victimising event to make their statement. Additionally, those persons who consider themselves victims whose inclusion in the Unified Registry of Victims has been denied because they have submitted their statement out of time, may also submit their statement until 22 August 2026. 

Finally, it is important to remember that according to paragraph 3 of article 154 of Law 1448 of 2011, which was modified by article 48 of Law 2421 of 2024, victims who are recognised as victims in the framework of the proceedings before the SJP will be included in the Single Registry of Victims when they are not part of it, for which the Special Administrative Unit for the Attention and Integral Reparation of Victims will agree with the SJP the procedure for their inclusion in the Registry.