WINCHESTER (VA)
The Winchester Star
January 5, 2019
By Josh Janney
Del. Wendy Gooditis, D-Clarke County, said she will introduce legislation to combat child sexual abuse when the 2019 General Assembly legislative session begins Wednesday.
During a press conference in Leesburg on Friday, Gooditis said she will introduce four bills that would:
• expand the definition of sexual abuse,
• require the clergy to report suspected abuse,
• retain records of complaints about child sexual abuse for a longer period of time,
• enforce a harsher penalty for those who commit domestic violence in the presence of a minor.
Gooditis said her brother, at the age of 11, was raped multiple times by the leader of a children’s activity. Her brother later attempted suicide multiple times, and suffered from PTSD and alcoholism. He was found dead in March 2017, shortly after she announced her candidacy for the House of Delegates. Gooditis hopes to protect other children from a similar fate.
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