The Voice of Justice

NOW THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE MUST FOLLOW SUIT AND PASS THE

'CHILD VICTIMS ACT'

New York's children are its most precious asset. Protecting this asset must be a legislative priority. Will eliminating the statutes for child sexual abuse cause catastrophic financial harm to some institutions or organizations because of a torrent of lawsuits? Civil litigation of these cases is a necessary evil.
Without this remedy, much of the financial burden from the devastation of child sexual abuse falls upon the taxpayers, costing billions in services that are needed by these victims. These costs should be shouldered by those responsible for the damaging effects they left their victims with.
Sexual predators have been hiding behind these archaic statutes for too long. Without affording victims of previous abuse the ability to expose their perpetrator, we do nothing to provide real-time protection to our children right now. Many of these predators may still be operating below the radar of law enforcement and can continue to abuse without detection. When California provided a window for previous victims, 300 predators were exposed that had never previously been identified.
Pass the Child Victims Act into law. Make New York safer for children, not for a few organizations or institutions lobbying against this long-overdue legislation

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would allow lawsuits against churches, schools and other organizations that may have covered up child sexual abuse decades ago.
The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 66-0. A similar bill overwhelmingly passed the House last week. Katharine Tinucci, a spokeswoman for Gov. Mark Dayton, said in an email that she "expects he will sign it."

Similar legislation in other states has led to lawsuits against the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts. In Minnesota, it could lead to lawsuits against Shattuck-St. Mary's, the Faribault boarding school where teacher Lynn Seibel allegedly sexually abused male students from 1999 to 2003.
Attorney Jeff Anderson, who is representing several former students who say they were abused by Seibel, said the school failed to protect students from the abuse. Seibel is awaiting trial in Rice County.
Current state law, as interpreted by the Minnesota Supreme Court, says victims of child sexual abuse need to file any lawsuits before they reach age 24. Many victims and their supporters say that's not enough time. Victims often keep abuse secret for decades, and it can take years to realize that depression, drug addiction, or difficulties with intimate relationships may stem from childhood sexual abuse.
The Minnesota Religious Council, which represents Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal and Methodist churches, lobbied against the bill and has been fighting similar efforts since 2003.
Karen Bockelman, a retired Lutheran pastor who chairs the council, has said the bill would drain churches of money needed to help the poor, and would give victims a reason to delay reporting abuse to police.
"You're dealing with the words of a victim, which need to be heard and taken very seriously, but the time and money that goes into defending these very, very old cases often comes from time and money that would be spent on developing safe church practices and preventive practices or that would be spent on all the good things that these organizations do," Bockelman said in an interview with MPR News in March.
The Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Child Care Association, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators and the Minnesota Inter-County Association also testified against the bill in a House

ALBANY, NY, April17, 2013

- Assemblywoman Margaret Markey At a press conference held here in Albany April 17,2012

to report on her new expanded Child Victims Act that will completely eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse offenses.

to report on her new expanded Child Victims Act that will completely eliminate the criminal and civil

The program was held in conjunction with a Lobby Day Which now has 40 co-sponsors in the Assembly. The Senate bill is S3809.There is no limit on what is a life-time of suffering and anguish for so many victims of child sexual 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

Institutions and organizations that have deliberately protected and hidden perpetrators. Their actions make it possible for pedophiles to continue to prey on new victims."

The Assemblywoman announced a new initiative today to press for passage of the legislation. It is

state-wide campaign, "Family & Friends of Survivors", family members of child
to visit every member of the Assembly and State Senate in their
offices

Among the speakers at the program were representatives of organizations announcing their support for the legislation

Mrs. Mary DeSantis

MS MARY DeSANTIS RABBI YOSEF BLAY

of Niskayuna, NY, mother of survivor Michael DeSantis.

Julie Kay
Foundation for Women

PROFESSOR MARCI HAMILTON

author and expert on the changes

underway across America to update archaic statute of limitations codes in all states

MARK MEYER APPEL

PRESIDENT OF THE VOICE OF JUSTICE
reported on the nechemia weberman caseof sex abuse on a minor and on victim intimidation in the Orthodox Jewish community .We must have the child victims act enacted in New York state.N.Y is behind all states in legislation protecting our children said Appel.

Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg, who was assaulted over his support for a young Brooklyn woman abused by a rabbi in a sex abuse case talks about his personal fight for justice

Several speakers reported about their testimony before a public hearing of the Assembly Codes

Committee on childhood sexual abuse in March. They included:

Christopher Anderson,

Director of .the Male Survivor organizations

Melanie Blow of the Prevent Child Abuse America

Also speaking was attorney

Tina Weber, who was involved in a landmark case
where seven New Yorkers had to take their accusations of abuse against a priest to the courts in

Massachusetts to get justice. The 2011 conviction was recently upheld on appeal.

In announcing the "Family & Friends for Survivors" group, Assembywoman Markey and Mary DeSantis said: "Child sex abuse not only has a life-long impact on the child who has been assaulted,

but also on the entire family. Because of the burden a child carries as a result of their abuse many

suffer problems as they are growing up and later in life. The entire family is affected as a result of that abuse to Albany from all across New York State on June 4-5 to tell our representatives that we want them to

They said that mothers and other family members of child sex abuse survivors are pledging to come

to Albany from all across New York State on June 4-5 to tell our representatives that we want them to

The Child Victims Act legislation, A 1771, has been adopted by the Assembly four times since 2006,

but has not yet advanced in the State Senate. It would completely eliminate the criminal and civil

statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes in New York State (which now expires only 5 years

after a victim turns 18) and also completely suspend the civil statute of limitations for one year to

to Albany from all across New York State on June 4-5 to tell our representatives that we want them to

act now to change the statute of limitations codes by enacting the Child Victims Act.

The Child Victims Act legislation, A 1771, has been adopted by the Assembly four times since 2006,

but has not yet advanced in the State Senate. It would completely eliminate the criminal and civil

statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes in New York State (which now expires only 5 years

after a victim turns 18) and also completely suspend the civil statute of limitations for one year to

provide justice for older victims and unmask abusers and those who have hidden them.

Assemblywoman Markey said: "Eight years ago, I first introduced the Child Victims Act of

NewYork to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse for an extra five years

Beyond current law." That bill would have extended the time for a victim to come forward

with allegations of abuse to the age of 28. "Even though we were aware that so many

victims of abuse are not able to come to grips with what happened to

them until they
older, we thought that modest extension would be a good first step toward a more equitable law

"Over the past few years we have seen shocking new revelations about child sex abuse emerge in

the U.S. and around the world. They clearly demonstrate why adding a few years to the statute of limitations is no longer enough. These include incidents involving Penn State and SyracuseUniversities, Sesame Street, the Boy Scouts, the Diocese of PhiladelphiaHorace Mann School, and Yeshiva University High School.What we are inadequate, but that real justice
is that the current law is not just woefully

requires more than a modest extension of statutes of limitations. That is why my new legislation nowseeks to completely eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes in New York State."

As with previous versions of the Child Victim's Act, this 2013 legislation includes a one-year "window"that completely suspends the civil statute of limitations for old crimes. Assemblywoman Markey

explained, "This is how we make it possible for older victims i

"What we are leinadequate, but that real justice

seeks to completely eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes in

New York State."

As with previous versions of the Child Victim's Act, this 2013 legislation includes a one-year "window"

that completely suspends the civil statute of limitations for old crimes. Assemblywoman Markey

explained, "This is how we make it possible for older victims in earlier cases to receive a measure of

justice and how we expose perpetrators whose crimes have been hidden."

J. McGrath is President of Call to Action Metro-NY Chapter, a Catholic lay organization.

Among press conference speakers were Cardozo Law School

Professor Marci Hamilton, author and

expert on the changes underway across America to update archaic statute of limitations codes in

nany states. Hamilton has created a website that tracks SOL reform activities state-by-

;state. It may be accessed at www.SOL-Reform.com.

Mark Meyer Appel,PRESIDENT OF The Voice OF JUSTICE reported on the weberman case and on victim intimidation in the Orthodox Jewish community

Rabbi Nachum Rosenberg, who was assaulted over his support for a young Brooklyn

woman victim who bravely testified in a successful case against a religious counselor who raped her.

Several speakers reported about their testimony before a public hearing of the Assembly Codes

Committee on childhood sexual abuse in March. They included:

Christopher Anderson, Executive

Director of .the Male Survivor

organization; and Melanie Blow of the Prevent Child Abuse America

New York chapter. Also speaking was attorney

Tina Weber, who was involved in a landmark case

where seven New Yorkers had to take their accusations of abuse against a priest to the courts in

Massachusetts to get justice. The 2011 conviction was recently upheld on appeal.

In announcing the "Family & Friends for Survivors" group, Assembywoman Markey and Mary

DeSantis said: "Child sex abuse not only has a life-long impact on the child who has been assaulted,

but also on the entire family. Because of the burden a child carries as a result of their abuse many

suffer problems as they are growing up and later in life. The entire family is affected as a result of that

abuse."