Murray Joins Fight against Child Abuse

Newsli
March 3, 2012

http://www.newsli.com/2012/03/03/murray-joins-fight-against-child-abuse/

Co-sponsors legislation to extend statute of limitations for child-sex-abuse crimes

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Dean Murray speaks at a press conference for the Child Victims Act of New York while Assemblywoman Margaret Markey looks on.

Assemblyman Dean Murray (R, C – East Patchogue) joined Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D – Maspeth) and survivors of child abuse at a press conference on February 29. The press conference was held in support of Child Victims Act of New York legislation that Assemblyman Murray is co-sponsoring.

"Sexually abusing a child is the most heinous offense a person can commit," said Murray. "For too long, past victims have had to suffer in silence while their offender has walked free. The legislation I am proudly co-sponsoring will extend the current statute of limitations for child-sex-abuse crime by five years, helping to expose older crimes and make it possible to identify previously hidden abusers and bring them to justice. I want to thank Assemblywoman Markey for taking a leadership role in this fight and her ongoing efforts to win passage of this bill."

The Child Victims Act of New York was adopted by the Assembly annually from 2005 to 2008. The press conference highlighting the legislation featured Professor Marci Hamilton of Yeshiva University's Cardozo Law School, a national authority on statutes of limitations; attorney Tina Weber and one of her clients who was a victim of sexual abuse; Rabbi Gershon Tennenbaum, President of the Rabbinical Alliance of America and staunch supporter of the Child Victims Act; and award-winning journalist and television producer Steve Jimenez and Mark M. Appel of Voice of Justice, a support group that aids in child protection in the Jewish community, who came with a young victim of abuse unable to receive justice because the statute of limitations had expired.