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     On June 11, 2008 New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver passed a monumental bill through the Assembly that would extend the authority to prosecute and to bring a civil lawsuit for damages in child sexual abuse cases (Silver). Bill A4560-B establishes the extended period of limitation for the prosecution of a sex offense, allows civil claims or causes of action brought by any person for physical, psychological or other injury or condition suffered as a result of conduct that is a sex offense to be commenced five years after the victim reaches the age of twenty-three; as well as revives for 1 year, any such civil claim or cause of action which was barred because the applicable statute of limitations expired (New York). However, despite the importance of this bill, it has not been brought to vote in the NY Senate. New York State residents should contact their representative and ask them to support Bill A4560-B because it will arm victims with knowledge, give them more time to become independent from their families, and allow them to gain emotional stability before they confront their attackers.

     Child victims of sexual abuse very often do not receive any victim's rights information at the time that the crime is reported. According to Detective Wafer, a detective in the Onondaga County Sheriffs Department's Abused Person's Unit, it is the parents of victims that receive victims rights information for their children under 17 years old (Interview, Det. Wafer). Considering that 90% of abused children are abused by family members or people close to the family(Child Help), it isn't hard to imagine that many parents choose not to inform their children of their right to a civil suit. Whether parents withhold the information to protect their children from harmful memories, or to simply keep “the family name” from being muddied, the result is the same; many victims simply have not been informed of their rights and so never know that civil suit was an option.

     Even if the victim has been informed of their rights, family members can often apply enough pressure that stops the victim from pursuing a civil case against their attacker. All too often is isn't until the child is out from under the influence of their family that they feel safe and confident enough to even look into a civil course of action. “Child sexual abuse is characterized by issues of secrecy, conflicted loyalties and power amongst people who stand in close relationship to each other. Following discovery of child sexual abuse there are a myriad of vested interests involved in pressuring the child ,the least powerful member of the family, to retract, and the non-offending members of the family to disbelieve the child's allegations (Flaherty).”

     However, the most important reason for passing Bill 4650-B has to be that it gives victims an extended period of time to seek psychological and emotional support as well as become more emotionally stable and better able to cope with the hardship of rehashing their abuse in court. Child sexual abuse survivors often struggle with a myriad of psychological issues stemming from the abuse. Anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are just a few of those issues. According to Carol Boulware, Ph.D, there are also many reasons why children do not deal with the abuse at the time of the incident such as unconscious feelings of shame, disbelief, and self blame (Boulware).

     Bill A4560-B will give victims more time to begin the healing process before cutting of their last avenue to finding justice and closure. It will inform victims of their rights, and give them time to break free from family pressures and find an inner strength that will come only with time and proper psychological care. Please contact your New York State Senator and urge them to show support for Bill A4560-B and help to strike a blow against the perpetrators of the most horrendous crime imaginable. Give the victims of child sexual abuse their voices back so that they can finally have their day in court.

 Email Addresses:

Please contact your District Representative and let them know that you support this bill!

Senator           &n bsp;        District       Email

Adams, Eric	20th	eadams@senate.state.ny.us
Alesi, James S.	55th	alesi@senate.state.ny.us
Aubertine, Darrel J.	48th	aubertin@senate.state.ny.us
Bonacic, John J.	42nd	bonacic@senate.state.ny.us
Breslin, Neil D.	46th	breslin@senate.state.ny.us
Connor, Martin	25th	connor@senate.state.ny.us
DeFrancisco, John A.	50th	jdefranc@senate.state.ny.us
Diaz, Ruben , Sr.	32nd	diaz@senate.state.ny.us
Dilan, Martin Malave	17th	dilan@senate.state.ny.us
Duane, Thomas K.	29th	duane@senate.state.ny.us
Farley, Hugh T.	44th	farley@senate.state.ny.us
Flanagan, John J.	2nd	flanagan@senate.state.ny.us
Fuschillo, Charles J., Jr.	8th	fuschill@senate.state.ny.us
Golden, Martin J.	22nd	golden@senate.state.ny.us
Gonzalez, Efrain , Jr.	33rd	gonzalez@senate.state.ny.us
Griffo, Joseph A.	47th	griffo@senate.state.ny.us
Hannon, Kemp	6th	hannon@senate.state.ny.us
Hassell-Thompson, Ruth	36th	hassellt@senate.state.ny.us
Huntley, Shirley L.	10th	shuntley@senate.state.ny.us
Johnson, Craig M.	7th	johnson@senate.state.ny.us
Johnson, Owen H.	4th	ojohnson@senate.state.ny.us
Klein, Jeffrey D.	34th	jdklein@senate.state.ny.us
Krueger, Liz	26th	lkrueger@senate.state.ny.us
Kruger, Carl	27th	kruger@senate.state.ny.us
Lanza, Andrew J.	24th	lanza@senate.state.ny.us
Larkin, William J., Jr.	39th	larkin@senate.state.ny.us
LaValle, Kenneth P.	1st	lavalle@senate.state.ny.us
Leibell, Vincent L., III	40th	leibell@senate.state.ny.us
Libous, Thomas W.	52nd	senator@senatorlibous.com
Little, Elizabeth O'C.	45th	little@senate.state.ny.us
Maltese, Serphin R.	15th	maltese@senate.state.ny.us
Marcellino, Carl L.	5th	marcelli@senate.state.ny.us
Maziarz, George D.	62nd	maziarz@senate.state.ny.us
Montgomery, Velmanette	18th	montgome@senate.state.ny.us
Morahan, Thomas P.	38th	morahan@senate.state.ny.us
Nozzolio, Michael F.	54th	nozzolio@senate.state.ny.us
Onorato, George	12th	onorato@senate.state.ny.us
Oppenheimer, Suzi	37th	oppenhei@senate.state.ny.us
Padavan, Frank	11th	padavan@senate.state.ny.us
Parker, Kevin S.	21st	parker@senate.state.ny.us
Perkins, Bill	30th	perkins@senate.state.ny.us
Rath, Mary Lou	61st	rath@senate.state.ny.us
Robach, Joseph E.	56th	robach@senate.state.ny.us
Saland, Stephen M.	41st	saland@senate.state.ny.us
Sampson, John L.	19th	sampson@senate.state.ny.us
Savino, Diane J.	23rd	savino@senate.state.ny.us
Schneiderman, Eric T.	31st	schneide@senate.state.ny.us
Serrano, José M.	28th	serrano@senate.state.ny.us
Seward, James L.	51st	seward@senate.state.ny.us
Skelos, Dean G.	9th	skelos@senate.state.ny.us
Smith, Malcolm A.	14th	masmith@senate.state.ny.us
Stachowski, William T.	58th	stachows@senate.state.ny.us
Stavisky, Toby Ann	16th	stavisky@senate.state.ny.us
Stewart-Cousins, Andrea	35th	scousins@senate.state.ny.us
Thompson, Antoine M.	60th	athompso@senate.state.ny.us
Trunzo, Caesar	3rd	trunzo@senate.state.ny.us
Vacancy,	43rd	SD43@senate.state.ny.us
Vacancy,	13th
Valesky, David J.	49th	valesky@senate.state.ny.us
Volker, Dale M.	59th	volker@senate.state.ny.us
Winner, George H., Jr.	53rd	winner@senate.state.ny.us
Young, Catharine M.	57th	cyoung@senate.state.ny.us

Silver, Sheldon; http://assembly.state.ny.us/Press/20080612/

Flaherty, Nettie; Sexual Assault and Abuse of Children; http://www.carpa.org.au/Ref%20Manual%204th%20Ed/Child%20Health/Sexual_assault_abuse_children.pdf

     When most people hear the word mother, it often affects warm feelings and memories of soft smiles and of gentle hugs. At least, I hope a feeling of all encompassing love goes hand in hand with memories of your mother. For me, however, I have no such memory. When I think of my mother, I am instantly transported to a time when fear, pain and embarrassment filled my days. The actions of my mother during my early childhood forced me to adapt to an environment almost war torn in nature, forced me to “grow up” well before my time, and fractured my trust in my family and adults in general. I am the person I am today because of her.

     One of my earliest full memories is from when I was two and Child Protective Services took me from my mother and our home in Vermont. My mother was an addict, addicted to coke and heroine and sex. She had many “boyfriends.” To many men to count. Men who used her and abused her and her children. The Social Workers took pictures of the damage done to me and my siblings, pictures of the welts and bruises. The cuts in our young skin, clearly showing the imprints of the Texas style belt buckles used to beat us. There were pictures of the room we were kept in, showing the floors covered in old newspapers and feces. We had been paper trained like dogs. We lived in a war zone; never knowing when the next blow would fall but always knowing it was inevitable.

     My mother's actions also caused me to act so much older then my tender age of two. There were days that my younger brother and I were locked in a room together for hours at a time. I tried to comfort him, the best that I could, but I was too young to understand everything that went along with taking care of an infant. My nights were filled with horrible nightmares that left me gasping for breath. Most children would just run to their mother and father for comfort, but I had no such luxury. My mother would only become angry with me if I went to her during the night, so I had to excise my own demons. I learned quickly that it was better not to be seen or heard. I would wait until my mother passed out before sneaking into the kitchen to find food for myself and my brother. It was a miracle that we survived the way we did, for as long as we did. Social services coming when they did, probably saved our lives.

     Because my father was still on active duty with the Marine Corps, my paternal grandparents were awarded custody of me. I was moved into their home, with my older brother, and I was even given my own room, done up in pink and cream, ruffles and lace. The perfect room for a little girl, but I was still afraid. I waited day after day, for the screaming that had been so much a part of my life before my grandparents, to begin again. I flinched when an adult came near me and I couldn't play and be loud and act like the child I was supposed to be. My mother taught me that I could never trust anyone, even my family.

     Though my time spent under my mothers care was relatively short, she managed to teach me a number of things. Living in the environment that she created, taught me how to survive. Taking care of my baby brother taught me to be more responsible then any child my age should have to be. She also taught me to choose the people I trust wisely, because even family could betray you. Finally, all her actions allowed me to develop an inner strength. Like the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, once said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”