45 results for author: Child Victims
James R. Marsh Appointed to Blue Ribbon Commission Examining the Larry Nassar Scandal
CHILD USA, the University of Pennsylvania-based think tank focused on child abuse and neglect, with $300,000 in funding from the Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD), today announced the establishment of an independent Blue Ribbon Commission to examine the institutional responses to sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. The announcement came at the Athletes and Abuse Symposium hosted at the University of Pennsylvania, where leading national experts on sports, law enforcement, child sexual abuse, and child development convened to examine the repeated abuse of athletes across the spectrum of sports and ages.
“Game Over: Commission to Protect Youth Athletes” led by Marci Hamilton, CEO of CHILD USA and Fox Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, will have 16 members, and will immediately engage in a fact-finding exercise, before conducting public hearings to bring greater light to what happened and what went wrong in reporting. The commission expects to release a full, public report, in the beginning of 2020 with the goal of preventing abuse in the future.
U.S. House must support child-pornography victim restitution
The U.S. House should enact a sensible bill to provide restitution to victims of child pornography. The Senate passed the bill in January.
By Seattle Times editorial board
Victims of child pornography are entitled to restitution from those who victimize them, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2014. But the means for doing so are incredibly burdensome, and Congress should change that.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to do just that in January, but it has not made any progress in the House.
Abuse and Incest National Network. Her group has endorsed the proposal along with other organizations including the National Center for Victims of Crime.
This bill is a good compromise between previous Senate and House proposals. The House should not hesitate to take the bill up and pass it.
55 State Attorneys General Call for Swift Passage of the AVAA
Last week, attorneys general from both political parties across the entire country signed a letter to House Speaker Ryan, Leader Pelosi, Chair Goodlatte, and Ranking Member Nadler calling for the swift passage by the House of Representatives of the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2017 (S. 2152).
Thanks to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and Washington Attorney General Robert W. Ferguson for co-sponsoring this crucial effort through the National Association of Attorneys General.
This unequivocal support has already had a meaningful impact on the House's consideration of this important bill which is now being finalized for eventual passage.
Victory in Congress!! House Passes Major Civil Reform for Child Victims 406-3
The House today passed legislation drafted by Senator Dianne Feinstein [D-CA] to require amateur athletics governing bodies like USA Gymnastics and other amateur sports organizations to report sex-abuse allegations immediately to local or federal law enforcement, or a child-welfare agency designated by the Justice Department.
The bill also reforms Masha's Law found at 18 U.S.C. 2255 by significantly enhancing federal civil remedies for victims of child pornography.
These long-sought critical reforms will empower victims of child pornography to hold offenders responsible not only in criminal court, but in federal civil court as well. Advocates for child pornography victims have been seeking these changes for almost 10 years. We congratulate Congress for passing significant law reform for Olympic and amateur athletes, and victims of child pornography, forced labor trafficking, child sex trafficking, federal sex abuse and interstate prostitution.
NOW IS THE TIME TO PASS THE AVAA! Congress must not and cannot rest until federal criminal restitution reform is finally enacted. Let's build on this victory to pass comprehensive reform for victims of child pornography and online exploitation.
Olympic Survivors Demand Change – Congress Scores a Zero
Yesterday, the former national team doctor for USA Gymnastics, Larry Nassar, was sentenced to up to 175 years for a litany of sexual abuse crimes. Nassar was sentenced after seven days of heart wrenching testimony from 156 victims who were abused while Nassar served as a team doctor for Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics.
While further Congressional investigation is definitely necessary, the Senate has already passed by unanimous consent decisive well-considered legislation championed by Senator Dianne Feinstein which is supported by 270 organizations and individuals. The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings and passed this legislation to protect young victims who participate in amateur sports from sexual abuse.
Once again, the Senate has acted decisively and once again it is up to the House to turn rhetoric into reality.
In the House, House Bill 1973 is sponsored by Representative Susan Brooks from Indiana and Representative Lois Frankel from Florida who co-chair the Women’s Caucus and have championed this issue.
The time is now to get this bill enacted! The House should take up this measure immediately before the bold tragic words of our Olympic athletes fade into memory. Although they will never forget what happened to them, history has shown that Congress has a very brief attention span.
Senate Passes AVAA by Unanimous Consent
After several sincere but ultimately failed attempts to pass legislation to simplify and streamline child pornography victim restitution in the federal courts, the Senate has once again demonstrated its commitment to children by ratifying the AVAA late last night by unanimous consent. The United States Senate came together in a bi-partisan coalition of 27 cosponsors, 12 Democrats and 15 Republicans, to do the right thing far from the spotlight, rhetoric, or Twitter feeds.
The real challenge remains the House of Representatives which has steadfastly blocked reform for the past four years.
Now is the time for advocates, victims, and their supporters, to encourage the House to quickly consider and pass Senate Bill 2152. Child pornography restitution reform is long overdue. Let's make 2018 the year when victims of childhood sexual abuse and online exploitation get the help and support they need. The Senate's right, left, and everyone in between has spoken decisively. Now it's up to the House to join them.
Hatch and Corwin Editorial: A lifeline for victims of child pornography
Child pornography leaves in its wake a trail of tragedy and shattered life. While public policy may never eradicate this evil altogether, it can at least alleviate the suffering of its victims. That’s exactly what Senator Hatch has sought to do with a groundbreaking new proposal that will provide justice for victims of child pornography.
In an effort to update our laws for the digital age, Senator Hatch has introduced the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act, named after the victims of some of the most widely circulated child pornography series in the world. “Amy” brought her case to the Supreme Court and “Andy,” who is aided by the tireless advocates at the Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic, is a Utah resident.
Under this legislation-which already has nearly two dozen bipartisan co-sponsors-victims will be able to choose which form of assistance will help them most. For those seeking restitution from defendants, this bill revises the criteria and options for judges to calculate losses and impose restitution. Victims may, as an alternative, apply for a one-time payment from the existing Crime Victims Fund maintained by the Department of Justice.
This editorial appeared in the Provo, Utah Daily Herald. It was co-authored by Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), the senior member and a former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and David Corwin, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and President-Elect of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.
Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Hearing on the AVAA
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an Executive Business Meeting to consider the AVAA. The bill was presented to the Committee and in keeping with normal Committee practice, held over for a second reading at the next executive business meeting which could occur as early as next week.
Senator Hatch delivered this compelling statement about this bi-partisan bill, S. 2152, which now has 17 co-sponsors: 10 Republican and 7 Democratic.
Senator Hatch Introduces the Amy Vicky & Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2017
Today, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)—the senior member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee—alongside Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), introduced the bipartisan Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2017 S. 2152, named for the victims in some of the world’s most widely circulated child pornography series.
This crucial legislation improves the process for seeking restitution from child pornography defendants. The bill also offers victims a monetary assistance alternative from the Crime Victim Fund, requires the appointment of a guardian to act on behalf of the victim in court, and allows victims access to the defendants’ images depicting them.
Senate Passes Child Pornography Victims Enhanced Federal Civil Remedies Bill
The Senate today by unanimous consent passed legislation led by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to require amateur athletics governing bodies to report sex-abuse allegations immediately to local or federal law enforcement, or a child-welfare agency designated by the Justice Department.
Most importantly for victims of child pornography, the bill reforms Masha's Law found at 18 U.S.C. 2255 by significantly enhancing federal civil remedies for victims of child pornography. These long-sought critical reforms will empower victims of child pornography to hold offenders responsible not only in criminal court, but in federal civil court as well.
Advocates for child pornography victims have been seeking these changes for over five years. We congratulate the Senate for their hard work on this bill and the House for passing a substantially similar bill in May. The bill is expected to move quickly to final passage and the president's signature.