Wednesday May 15, 2013I grew up in State College, Pa., home of Penn State University and its fabled football program. In high school I walked the halls and attended classes with the children of Penn State football royalty: A couple of Paternos, some Sanduskys. We were the Little Lions, a play on the college mascot the Nittany Lion.In 2011 when it came to light that former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky had been sexually abusing boys for a number of years, I simply didn’t believe it. It seems that as I wrapped up my journalism degree at Penn State, children were being irrevocably harmed by a predator whose face we’d all seen on the sidelines at Beaver Stadium for years.
Later, as I read the 23-page grand jury report about the alleged abuse, my heart fell and my stomach turned. There were too many victims for these allegations not to have some truth to them. I read that fellow State High alum Mike McQueary had witnessed Sandusky raping a 10-year-old boy in a football building in 2002. I felt physically sick. McQueary reportedly followed the chain of command, and within the scope of the law reported what he saw to his superior, Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno.
Nine years passed before it all came to light. More years, the report would reveal, of more boys getting abused.
Time is of the essence in reporting such crimes in any state — more so in Vermont, legally, than in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania actually has a relatively lenient age limit for filing child sex abuse charges — 30 for civil cases and 50 for criminal cases. In Vermont, current law only allows for prosecution of sexual assault, lewd and lascivious conduct, sexual exploitation of a minor within 10 years after it is reported or until a child turns 24.
Thanks in part to Sandusky’s highly-publicized trial, sexual crimes committed against a child in Vermont will now have a 40-year statute of limitations.
The limits exist for good reason — because after many years have passed it can be difficult to find evidence of a crime and a witness’ memory can fade. However, sexual abuse of a child is a crime that bears special consideration.
A June 11, 2012 New York Times editorial on the subject said it well: “We can’t expect an 11-year-old boy to report what was done to him quickly, or even before he turns 23, especially if he has to reckon with a powerful institution — like Penn State, or the Roman Catholic Church — with an interest in covering up possible crimes.”
The Vermont Legislature agreed Tuesday to extend the statute of limitations on crimes committed against children after a local prosecutor, Bennington County Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Christina Rainville, sought changes following the Sandusky’s trial. Rainville told The Banner that the Sandusky case was a “watershed moment” for her and led her to seek a change in state law. She approached Bennington County Democratic Sen. Dick Sears to seek an extended limit. Gov. Peter Shumlin is expected to sign the legislation into law in short order. The law will take effect immediately, which is a good thing for children in the state of Vermont.
If Sandusky’s abuses — alleged to have taken place between 1994 and 2009 — had happened in Vermont, Rainville noted that only six of the eight victims in that case would not have been able to bring charges because of the time limitations.
Per Wikipedia, in 2011, following a two-year grand jury investigation, Sandusky was arrested and charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse of young boys over the aforementioned 15-year period. Last June he was found guilty of 45 of the charges and was sentenced to at least 30 years in a state prison in Pennsylvania.
I’ve noticed that my hometown isn’t referred to by its nickname — Happy Valley — as often anymore. The wounds over Sandusky’s crimes, Joe Paterno’s subsequent investigation and death, the NCAA sanctions on the football team and the way the university handled the situation are still fresh and raw.
For Sandusky’s victims, it will never again be Happy Valley.
It is the child victims of sexual abuse that deserve the most fair and compassionate outcome our justice system can give them.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2013-05-16 02:17:402013-05-16 02:48:39Very good start in VT!
Horace Mann’s headmaster says he supports a bill that might open the scandal-stained school to lawsuits by sex abuse victims.
But Tom Kelly has reservations about the Child Victims Act, which would eliminate the statute of limitations and open a one-year window for survivors of past abuse to file criminal and civil cases.
“Yes, I’m a supporter, but . . . the bill in its current form falls short,” Kelly said in a recent statement.
Kelly said the bill by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Queens) falls short because it does not address abuse suffered by students at government-funded programs and schools.
“It would be a huge injustice to ignore this portion of the student population in New York State, when, in fact, they represent some of our neediest kids,” Kelly wrote.
Many of the former students who say they were abused at Horace Mann have already negotiated settlements with the elite private school.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2013-05-15 04:36:202013-05-15 04:36:20Agree! There should be a second bill in NY proposing a window for public survivors.
HB 1063 to Remove the Criminal Statute of Limitations for Sex Crimes Against Children SOL bill is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, May 15 in subcommittee at 8:55 a.m. and in the Senate Criminal Law Committee at 9:00 a.m. Learn more and contact your sentators today!
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2013-05-12 02:15:362013-05-13 18:20:50Action Alerts for the week of May 13th, 2013
Child sex abuse experts say at least 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 5 boys are sexually abused in their lifetimes. It often takes years for victims of child sex abuse to come forward – And by the time they’re ready it’s often too late to take action against the crimes committed against them.
“I know that as a survivor and years of advocacy that it takes victims decades and decades and decades to come forward,” said Kathryn Robb, a sexual assault survivor from Lexington.
Survivors are asking state lawmakers to extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse. They’re supporting a bill that would allow sexual abuse claims to be filed in civil court until a victim turns 55 years old, instead of 21-years-old.
“What it will do is make it possible to identify the hidden predators that are now hiding in the state of Massachusetts because the law has been created here in this state as in other states to prefer the predator,” said Cardozo School of Law Professor Marci Hamilton.
Those over the age of 55 would have one year to report a sex crime. Abuse survivors also want lawmakers to approve legislation that would put all sex offenders on an online registry.
“I hope that for the state of Massachusetts and eventually the whole country can allow levels, all levels of sex offenders, up online to do anything and everything we can to prevent me, her, your mother, your daughter, your sister, your son, anyone that you may know from being a victim of sexual assault,” said Jeremy Bethoney, a sex assault survivor from Hingham.
But some state lawmakers cautioned fairness for alleged attackers. Barnstable state Representative Brian Mannal (D-Barnstable) proposed a bill that guarantees sex offenders rights to an attorney during classification hearings.
“Indeed they are not popular bills. I filed them in the interest of fairness and justice,” said Rep. Mannal
The Barnstable Democrat also filed bills that give judges discretion when assigning GPS devices to sex offenders and ban minors from being prosecuted for consensual sex with their peers.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2013-05-11 15:44:542013-05-11 15:44:54Pols urged to extend MA sex abuse statute of limitations
Very good start in VT!
/in Vermont /by SOL ReformLater, as I read the 23-page grand jury report about the alleged abuse, my heart fell and my stomach turned. There were too many victims for these allegations not to have some truth to them. I read that fellow State High alum Mike McQueary had witnessed Sandusky raping a 10-year-old boy in a football building in 2002. I felt physically sick. McQueary reportedly followed the chain of command, and within the scope of the law reported what he saw to his superior, Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno.
Nine years passed before it all came to light. More years, the report would reveal, of more boys getting abused.
Time is of the essence in reporting such crimes in any state — more so in Vermont, legally, than in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania actually has a relatively lenient age limit for filing child sex abuse charges — 30 for civil cases and 50 for criminal cases. In Vermont, current law only allows for prosecution of sexual assault, lewd and lascivious conduct, sexual exploitation of a minor within 10 years after it is reported or until a child turns 24.
Thanks in part to Sandusky’s highly-publicized trial, sexual crimes committed against a child in Vermont will now have a 40-year statute of limitations.
The limits exist for good reason — because after many years have passed it can be difficult to find evidence of a crime and a witness’ memory can fade. However, sexual abuse of a child is a crime that bears special consideration.
A June 11, 2012 New York Times editorial on the subject said it well: “We can’t expect an 11-year-old boy to report what was done to him quickly, or even before he turns 23, especially if he has to reckon with a powerful institution — like Penn State, or the Roman Catholic Church — with an interest in covering up possible crimes.”
The Vermont Legislature agreed Tuesday to extend the statute of limitations on crimes committed against children after a local prosecutor, Bennington County Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Christina Rainville, sought changes following the Sandusky’s trial. Rainville told The Banner that the Sandusky case was a “watershed moment” for her and led her to seek a change in state law. She approached Bennington County Democratic Sen. Dick Sears to seek an extended limit. Gov. Peter Shumlin is expected to sign the legislation into law in short order. The law will take effect immediately, which is a good thing for children in the state of Vermont.
If Sandusky’s abuses — alleged to have taken place between 1994 and 2009 — had happened in Vermont, Rainville noted that only six of the eight victims in that case would not have been able to bring charges because of the time limitations.
Per Wikipedia, in 2011, following a two-year grand jury investigation, Sandusky was arrested and charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse of young boys over the aforementioned 15-year period. Last June he was found guilty of 45 of the charges and was sentenced to at least 30 years in a state prison in Pennsylvania.
I’ve noticed that my hometown isn’t referred to by its nickname — Happy Valley — as often anymore. The wounds over Sandusky’s crimes, Joe Paterno’s subsequent investigation and death, the NCAA sanctions on the football team and the way the university handled the situation are still fresh and raw.
For Sandusky’s victims, it will never again be Happy Valley.
It is the child victims of sexual abuse that deserve the most fair and compassionate outcome our justice system can give them.
In Vermont, extra time is a step forward.
~Michelle Karas
View Source
View as PDF: http://sol-reform.com/Vermont/Extending_statute_of_limitations_the_right_thing_to_do.pdf
IL Civil Elimination Passed by Both Houses!
/in Illinois /by SOL ReformYahoo!
Agree! There should be a second bill in NY proposing a window for public survivors.
/in New York /by SOL ReformHorace Mann’s headmaster says he supports a bill that might open the scandal-stained school to lawsuits by sex abuse victims.
But Tom Kelly has reservations about the Child Victims Act, which would eliminate the statute of limitations and open a one-year window for survivors of past abuse to file criminal and civil cases.
RELATED: HORACE MANN ALUMS BREAK SILENCE ON ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE
“Yes, I’m a supporter, but . . . the bill in its current form falls short,” Kelly said in a recent statement.
Kelly said the bill by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Queens) falls short because it does not address abuse suffered by students at government-funded programs and schools.
RELATED: BRONX DA CLOSES HORACE MANN SEX ABUSE INVESTIGATION
“It would be a huge injustice to ignore this portion of the student population in New York State, when, in fact, they represent some of our neediest kids,” Kelly wrote.
Many of the former students who say they were abused at Horace Mann have already negotiated settlements with the elite private school.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/headmaster-child-abuse-bill-article-1.1342446#ixzz2TKgyEm4f
SOL defense is sick in rape cases (Utah)
/in Utah /by SOL ReformView/Print the article as a PDF: http://sol-reform.com/utah/defense-argues-statute-of-limitations-has-run-out-on-rape.pdf
Action Alerts for the week of May 13th, 2013
/in Illinois, New Jersey /by SOL ReformAction Alerts For The Week Of May 13th, 2013:
Illinois:
HB 1063 to Remove the Criminal Statute of Limitations for Sex Crimes Against Children SOL bill is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, May 15 in subcommittee at 8:55 a.m. and in the Senate Criminal Law Committee at 9:00 a.m. Learn more and contact your sentators today!
New Jersey:
New SOL reform bill (SB 2281 with amendments) will be introduced Monday May 13! Get all the info and contact your NJ Senators
Thank you, Frank Douglas, for helping spread the word via http://reform-network.net
Pols urged to extend MA sex abuse statute of limitations
/in Massachusetts /by SOL ReformChild sex abuse experts say at least 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 5 boys are sexually abused in their lifetimes. It often takes years for victims of child sex abuse to come forward – And by the time they’re ready it’s often too late to take action against the crimes committed against them.
“I know that as a survivor and years of advocacy that it takes victims decades and decades and decades to come forward,” said Kathryn Robb, a sexual assault survivor from Lexington.
Survivors are asking state lawmakers to extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse. They’re supporting a bill that would allow sexual abuse claims to be filed in civil court until a victim turns 55 years old, instead of 21-years-old.
“What it will do is make it possible to identify the hidden predators that are now hiding in the state of Massachusetts because the law has been created here in this state as in other states to prefer the predator,” said Cardozo School of Law Professor Marci Hamilton.
Those over the age of 55 would have one year to report a sex crime. Abuse survivors also want lawmakers to approve legislation that would put all sex offenders on an online registry.
“I hope that for the state of Massachusetts and eventually the whole country can allow levels, all levels of sex offenders, up online to do anything and everything we can to prevent me, her, your mother, your daughter, your sister, your son, anyone that you may know from being a victim of sexual assault,” said Jeremy Bethoney, a sex assault survivor from Hingham.
But some state lawmakers cautioned fairness for alleged attackers. Barnstable state Representative Brian Mannal (D-Barnstable) proposed a bill that guarantees sex offenders rights to an attorney during classification hearings.
“Indeed they are not popular bills. I filed them in the interest of fairness and justice,” said Rep. Mannal
The Barnstable Democrat also filed bills that give judges discretion when assigning GPS devices to sex offenders and ban minors from being prosecuted for consensual sex with their peers.
View Source: http://massachusetts.onpolitix.com/news/241754/pols-urged-to-extend-sex-abuse-statute-of-limitations