Sponsors Call for Assembly Vote on Child Victims Act
Sponsors Call for Assembly Vote on Child Victims Act
With NY Ranked Among Worst States in America for Victims,
62 Sponsors Call for a Vote Now on Their Bill to Completely
Eliminate Statute of Limitaitons for Child Sex Abuse Crimes
Letter: Predators Get Better Treatment in New York than Abuse Victims Do
ALBANY, NEW YORK, June 2, 2015 — Backers of the Child Victims Act want the leadership of the New York State Assembly to bring their Child Victims Act to a vote in the final weeks of the 2015 legislative session in Albany.
Assemblywoman Margaret Markey has 61 other members of the Assembly as co-sponsors of her legislation (A2862/S63) to reform New York State’s archaic statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes.
In a letter they are sending today to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the sponsors pointed out that New York is ranked among the very worst states in America for how it treats victims of these crimes, according to an analysis of statute of limitations codes of all 50 states.
“Rape or molestation of a child is among the very worst offenses in our society, but New York State’s outdated statutes of limitations now permits pedophiles and those who hide them to evade accountability for their crimes,” said Assemblywoman Markey.
The Child Victims Act will completely eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for these offenses and it also provides a one-year civil “window” that will expose abusers who have been hidden and evaded justice.
“There is no limit on what is a life-time of suffering and anguish for so many victims of child sexual abuse,” said Assemblywoman Markey. “That is why there should be no limit on the ability of victims and society to prosecute abusers and no limit on holding accountable those institutions and organizations that have deliberately protected and hidden pedophiles.”
In their letter to the Assembly Speaker, Markey and the sponsor group said: “Over recent years there has been a growing awareness across the nation of the need to act to expose this scourge. We have seen many widely publicized reports of incidents of abuse by high-profile individuals, and of cover-up by institutions and organizations in amateur and elite sports, schools, youth programs, universities, religious and other organizations. Scientific advancement in DNA testing also makes it more possible than ever to hold perpetrators accountable.”
Assemblywoman Markey said; “Emerging awareness, new research data and changing national trends have seen states as diverse as California, Delaware, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois and Florida reform their statutes of limitations.
In their letter, the Assemblymembers said: “Many other states over recent years have reformed their statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, but not New York. Right now, New York is among the four states where predators and abusers get better treatment than victims. It is time to change that by adopting the Child Victims Act and we respectfully ask your help to bring A2872 to the Assembly floor for a vote.”
The Child Victims Act has already been overwhelmingly adopted by the Assembly four different times. This 2015 bill has the highest number of co-sponsors since the Child Victims Act was first introduced in 2006. Under current New York law a victim of childhood sexual abuse must report the offense within five years after turning 18.
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FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE LETTER TO THE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER:
Hon. Carl E. Heastie, Speaker, New York State Assembly
Room 932, Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248
Dear Mr. Speaker:
We the undersigned sponsors of A2872, the Child Victims Act of New York, respectfully request that the bill be presented for a floor vote by the New York State Assembly within the coming weeks.
Rape or molestation of a child is among the very worst offenses in our society, but New York State’s outdated statutes of limitations now permits pedophiles and those who hide them to evade accountability for their crimes. The A2872 legislation seeks to eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for these offenses and it also provides a one-year civil “window” that will expose abusers who have been hidden and evaded justice.
We ask the Assembly to act now because this is a subject that affects a large number of our citizens. Creditable research shows that one in five youngsters in America suffer from sexual abuse, many of them at the hands of people they know or trust.
Over recent years there has been a growing awareness across the nation of the need to act to expose this scourge. We have seen many widely publicized reports of incidents of abuse by high-profile individuals, and of cover-up by institutions and organizations in amateur and elite sports, schools, youth programs, universities, religious and other organizations. Scientific advancement in DNA testing also makes it more possible than ever to hold perpetrators accountable.
While other states have moved to reform their statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, we have not. New York is ranked among the very worst states in America for how it treats victims of these crimes, according to an analysis of statute of limitations codes of all 50 states. New York survivors of abuse deserve better and this legislation will change that.
The Child Victims Act has already been overwhelmingly adopted by the Assembly four different times in various forms. This current bill, which has the highest number of co-sponsors since the Child Victims Act was first introduced in 2006, reflects the changing research and national trends that have seen states as diverse as California, Delaware, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois and Florida reform their statutes of limitations.
Right now, New York is among the four states where predators and abusers get better treatment than victims. It is time to change that by adopting the Child Victims Act and we respectfully ask your help to bring A2872 to the Assembly floor for a vote.
Assemblymembers who are co- and multi-sponsors of A2872, The Child Victims Act of New York, include:Margaret Markey, Luis Sepulveda, Michael Miller, Steve Englebright, Aileen Gunther, Anthony Brindisi, Samuel Roberts, Steven Otis, Ellen Jaffee, Annette Robinson, Al Stripe, Jeff Aubry, Michael Kearns, Aravella Simotas, Barbara Clark, Sandra Galef, Earlene Hooper, Walter Mosley, Linda Rosenthal, Barbara Lifton, Didi Barrett, Bill Nojay, Amy Paulin, N. Nick Perry, James Skoufis, Alec Brook-Krasny, Vivian Cook, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Joseph Saladino, Alfred Graf, Kieran Lalor, Victor Pichardo, Karl Brabenec, Carmen Arroyo, Anthony Palumbo, Latrice Walker, Todd Kaminsky, Guillermo Linares, Brian Curran, Dean Murray, David Weprin, Mark Johns, Rodneyse Bichotte, Kenneth Blankenbush, Jim Brennan, John Ceretto, Clifford Crouch, Patricia Fahy, Deborah Glick, Phillip Goldfeder, Steve Hawlay, Andrew Hevesi, Steve Katz, Peter Lopez, Bill Magee, Feliz Ortiz, Gary Pretlow, Jose Rivera, Addie Russell, Jo Ann Simon, Claudia Tenney, Angela Wozniak