Support the Child Victims Act (A5488, Margaret Markey)

To: Honorable Andrew Cuomo, Governor, State of New York

cc: Your State Assembly Member
      Your State Senator
      Assemblywoman Margaret Markey

I strongly urge you to support the Child Victim's Act of New York in the 2012 Legislative Session (A5488, Markey).

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of UNKNOWN sex abusers of children living and working among us -- in schools, churches, synagogues, youth groups, and especially in families. To find and pursue them, our legislators must change the New York State statute of limitations (SOL), as two special grand juries in New York have declared.

According to the FBI, 1 in 5 of ALL children are sexually abused before they are 18! Many predators are life-long abusers, with as many as 100 victims. Yet, only 10% of this abuse is ever reported to authorities.

This epidemic is made worse by those who have criminally covered up for abusers and are themselves shielded by the state's statute. For example, Special grand juries in Suffolk and Westchester have uncovered orchestrated criminal actions by religious institutions using deception and intimidation to delay victims from legal recourse until the statute of limitations expired.

There is One Proven Way to Discover Abusers
and those Who Cover up.

"...the NYS legislature should enact a statute similar to the state of California that revives civil actions for damages for a period of one year...." -- Suffolk County Special Grand Jury.

When California enacted a similar law, it discovered more than 300 undetected predators. Delaware, a much smaller state, has discovered more than 60. Given that predators have multiple victims, thousands of children have now been protected in just these two pioneering states.

New York's Children Deserve this Protection.

The Child Victims Act of New York will:

• Enable the detection of UNKNOWN AND SHIELDED predators by suspending the statute of limitations for just one year.

• Provide justice for victims who were unfairly or criminally denied their day in court.

• Provide additional time for future victims to overcome their trauma, extending the SOL from age 23 to 28.

• Save our state extensive financial and social costs by reducing the number of victims and abusers. Studies show child sexual abuse costs NYS taxpayers over $1 billion every year.

Please Protect New York's Children. Don't Shield their Abusers!

I Support the Child Victims Act of New York (A5488, Markey).

I understand my information will be used only to update me on the progress of the Bill and offer opportunities to join in voluntary action to get it passed.

If you would like to become more active in passing this bill, please email:
nyprotectchildren AT gmail DOT com

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