Candidate Supports End of Statute of Limitations for Sexual Predators
A state Senate candidate held an emotional press conference last Wednesday at Mount Kisco Village Hall calling for lawmakers to pass legislation that would ease restrictions on the time childhood sexual abuse victims can report incidents.
Boak, a Pound Ridge Democrat running next week in a primary for the 40th Senate District, said the Child Victims Act would eliminate the statute of limitations for new child sexual abuse incidents and allow victims of past incidents one year to sue the abuser or the facility where the abuse occurred.
The legislation would also place convicted sex offenders on registries and limit their access to children, she said.
Under current state law, victims of childhood sexual abuse must report the abuse or file a lawsuit before they turn 23. Studies have indicated that it takes an average of 21 years for an abuse victim to come forward, Boak said.
“Between 70 and 90 percent of children that are trafficked into the commercial sexual industry have experienced some form of sexual abuse before they were trafficked,” said Boak, co-founder of the International Organization for Adolescents, a nonprofit organization working to eliminate human trafficking and exploitation of minors.
“What I have seen in my experience is that children who are sexually abused can lose their confidence,” she said. “They can become drug addicted to help cope with anxiety. They can’t focus so they have problems in school. They become isolated. In essence, they become perfect targets for human traffickers who prey on vulnerable children.”
On the same day, state Sen. Terrence Murphy (R-Yorktown), who Boak would oppose if she wins next week’s primary, announced his support for the creation of child safety zones, which he said has been repeatedly stonewalled in the Democratic dominated Assembly. He said a Level 2 sex offender lives within 1,000 feet of Koegel Park in Somers, where his press conference was conducted.
“Since 2008, even before I was a councilman, I have been advocating for the passage of child safety zone laws,” Murphy said.” It is up to the state to make these zones a reality, since the courts struck down local attempts at child safety zone laws in Rockland, Putnam and Nassau Counties.
“To me, it’s common sense. But the Assembly continues to play politics with our kids,” he added.
Child safety zones prohibit registered sex offenders from anywhere children congregate, such as schools, parks, daycare centers and houses of worship.
During her press conference, Boak slammed Murphy for failing to fight for the Child Victims Act.
“Either you’re protecting the children or you’re protecting the predators,” she said. “Terrence Murphy is for supporting the predators. He is not supporting this bill. In fact, the Senate wouldn’t even bring this bill to the floor for a debate.”
Murphy responded through a campaign spokesman last week to his would-be opponent’s criticism. Michael Jefferson said extending the statute of limitations is worthy debate, but not an unlimited timeframe.
“The most pressing question that should be answered is why when Sen. Murphy’s bipartisan legislation to enact child safety zones and victim safety zones to keep abusers away from our kids and those they’ve harmed has passed the Senate unanimously two years in a row, the Democratic Assembly majority has not brought it up for a floor vote,” Jefferson said.
Among the supporters of the Child Victims Act who attended Boak’s event were two adults who were sexual abuse victims as children.
“In 1966, I left my home a happy young boy of seven and I went to visit my father in a hospital,” said Gary Greenberg, founder of the Fighting for Children political action committee, his cracking voice.
He was supposed to be given a tour of an X-ray room that day.
“I met an evil person. He didn’t give a tour. He brought me to hell,” Greenberg said.
He said the Republican-controlled Senate was wrong for not bringing the legislation to a vote. Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports the proposed law, he said.
“Either you’re with the victims or you’re with the predators,” Greenberg said.
Andrew Willis, CEO of the Stop Abuse Campaign and a Fighting for Children volunteer, said one in five children are sexually abused before 18 years old. At 10, Willis was one of those children. He said statutes of limitation protect rapists.
“They’ve had 10 years to pass this bill and in 10 years they have done absolutely nothing,” Willis said. “One in 10 of the sexual predators that molest and rape our children are walking free on our streets. They will never see one day behind bars. They’re protected by New York state laws.”
Boak’s opponent in the upcoming Democratic primary, Andrew Falk, said he supported the Child Victims Act. Sexual predators “deserve a special place in hell,” he said.
“Shame on Murphy,” Falk said.
