Advocates For Child Victims Act To Rally In Albany Next Week

Advocates and supporters of the Child Victims Act (A1771A/S6367) will join with Assemblywoman Margaret Markey at a press conference in Albany to report about support for the expanded Child Victims Act. The bill, which would permit victims of childhood sexual abuse to get justice and expose perpetrators who have been hidden, is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Brad Hoylman. The program is being held in conjunction with a Child Victims Act Advocacy Day in Albany Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

Press release:

Advocates for Child Victims Act of NY to combat childhood sexual
abuse come to Albany on May 13 to urge reform of archaic NYS codes
 
Groups serving women and girls will present letter of support for Child Victims Act;
National speedskating champion talks about abuse in amateur, Olympic sports;
Noted victims rights group reveals results of its opinion polling in NYS Senate districts.
 
Advocates and supporters of the Child Victims Act (A1771A/S6367) will join with Assemblywoman Margaret Markey at a press conference in Albany to report about support for the expanded Child Victims Act. The bill, which would permit victims of childhood sexual abuse to get justice and expose perpetrators who have been hidden, is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Brad Hoylman. The program is being held in conjunction with a Child Victims Act Advocacy Day in Albany. The event is:
 
Tuesday, May 13, 2014, 12:30 p.m.
LCA Press Room 130, First Floor,
NYS State Legislative Office Building
Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY
 
Speakers include leaders of the Downstate Crime Victims Coalition and the Ms. Foundation for Women. They recently sponsored a state-wide webinar to educate organizations and agencies about child sexual assault and the importance of changing the statute of limitations for these offences and are presenting a letter of support for the Child Victims Act from New York state organizations that serve women and girls.
 
Former national champion speedskater Bridie Farrell, who has roots in Saratoga Springs, NY, will be present to speak about her first person experiences as a young competitor and abuse in amateur, National and Olympic sports, plus her current work with SafeSports initiative.
 
Also speaking will be Jeff Dion, Deputy Director of the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), who will reveal results of public opinion polling in selected NY State Senate Districts where they measured public attitudes about the state’s archaic statute of limitations codes for child sex abuse offenses and other issues relating to the Child Victims Act.
 
Other speakers at the press conference include: Cardozo Law School Professor Marci Hamilton, author and expert on the changes underway in many other states to update archaic statute of limitations codes; Peter Brooks of the Horace Mann Action Coalition; and two representatives of the new Catholics of Conscience Coalition, Francis Piderit of Voice of the Faithful-NY, and Steve Powers, who leads the Upstate NY Chapter of Call to Action.     
 
The legislation, A1771, 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.

Comments

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Here in the Office of the Chief Rabbi, we've been watching this for several years. The Democratic Assembly passes every year (yes, even with Shelly of Silver in charge), and the Republican Senate ignoring it.

Often this time of year, the Legislature wakes up and realizes they've done nothing to earn their bribes from lobbyists, so there will be some action of some bills. This bill, in both the Senate and assembly versions, has been sitting around in the Codes Committee since January. Co-incidentally (or not) the senate codes committee is scheduled to meet about the same time as this rally (Committee @ 1 PM). The agenda for the meeting http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/meeting/Codes-05-13-2014 does not include this bill. Rather, things like identity theft, defense for patronizing a prostitute, and making Queens County responsible for crimes on Rikers are the topics.

BTW, the kosher restaurant that was going to open near the Capital had a fire before opening, so we're still dependent on deli platters from a market halfway to Schenectady. If you're coming to lobby, bring your lunch. This being Albany, the restaurant is "pescaterian." i.e. not fleshig.

In related news, former State Senate chief Joe Bruno is now in his second trial, the first conviction thrown out when the Supreme Court ruled there had to be actual bribery or kickbacks for theft of services.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Also: a new Catholic bishop took office in Albany last month replacing the 36 yr incumbent . The new guy is from Queens, and has a law degree, so you canbe sure part of his commission was to make sure this bill does not become law.

His Coat of Arms includes a Magen David to honor his Russian Jewish grandfather , showing in my mind the cruel tragedy of intermarriage.

[Barry]

Have you told this bishop what a cruel tragedy his life is?

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

@Barry the Court Jews are planning and choreographing the bishop's meeting with the Official Jewish Leaders for later this month. I'll be sure to tell him.