Child Sex Abuse Survivors Urge Legislation

WNYT
June 15, 2017

http://wnyt.com/news/sex-abuse-victims-survivors-farrell-oloughlin-wagner-stewart-cousins-rosenthal-hoylman-polenberg/4515138/

[with video]

Survivors of child sexual abuse and their advocates were at the Capitol Thursday pleading with Senate Republicans to "ease their pain."

Anna Wagner, a Long Island mother of three, who was abused by a family friend when she was 9, says the emotional scars remain and the nightmares are constant.

"I ask that the Senate take a stand and help conserve children's rights and help conserve the sweet dreams of children tomorrow," Wagner said. "When is it going to be a priority to stop the nightmares, when we know these monsters are not haunting other children?"

The Child Victims Act would eliminate the statute of limitations and open up a one-year window so that sex abuse victims can file civil suits.

"There's nothing more repulsive than the sexual exploitation of children by adults, "said Assembly woman Linda Rosenthal (D - New York City), "Without doing this bill, New York State is protecting predators and allowing current predators to continue their ways."

Rosenthals' advocacy helped pass the measure in the Assembly 139-7.

"There's no question that the survivors have moved the hearts and minds of almost every single Assembly member in the chamber," she said.

"All that's standing between justice and survivors of child sexual abuse is the governing Republican coalition," Senator Brad Hoylman (D - New York City), said.

The GOP majority isn't onboard just yet. Advocates say there's too much lobbying pressure from insurance companies, the Catholic Church, and the Boy Scouts.

"We in the Senate can do what happened in the assembly if we stand up," said Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D - Minority Leader). "You who have been silenced for so many years, you who have no recourse for so many years,New York State hears you. We care about you. We're willing to act."

With the legislative session coming down to the wire, abuse survivors, like Mary Ellen O'Loughlin of Saratoga Springs, continue to tell their stories.

"We need to tell our stories," O'Loughlin says, "People need to be able to connect with our stories so they can act on what's right. In New York, abusers have aged out. So they can keep going and going and going because by the time someone is 23, it's very difficult to identify the abusers out there."

Bridie Farrell is also telling her story. A Saratoga High School graduate, and retired US Olympic speedskater, who was abused by a former Olympic teammate when she was 15.

"At 26 years old, I was taking a course at Cornell University and it was the first time I realized I was the victim of a crime," Farrell says, "It is impossible to ask people to come forward by age 23."

"Enough is enough," says Senator Timothy Kennedy (D - Buffalo), "It is time for justice to be done in New York State. New York State has failed their victims for far too long."

Michael Polenberg is the vice president of government affairs for Safe Horizons, the largest victims advocacy agency in the country. He says a fundamental piece of the healing process for victims will be forever denied if the current laws remain in place.

"When clients ask us, the person who harmed me, can I take him to court, can I sue this person, can I get a DA to prosecute this individual? The answer time and time again is no," he says, "The doors of the courtroom are closed."

Thursday morning's news conference outside the senate chamber was seemingly filled with optimism.

"We've moved the hearts and minds, it is time to move the votes in the Senate," Farrell says, "This is when a lot gets done in Albany. This is when a lot can get done in Albany. There's a lot of momentum and adrenalin. We're ready to make this happen."