How the fuck is there a statute of limitations for rape in New York?

[Pat Mustard]

The only crime that has no  statute is murder. The reason there are limits on all other crimes isn't to protect the accused but to protect society including the innocent that might might get accused from an over zealous government. Innocent people do end up accused and wrongly convicted

Doesn't wash for me. Ireland has no statutes of limitation on indictable crimes (which include all sexually based crimes) yet the justice system isn't swamped with criminal cases pursued by overzealous prosecutors.