Roman Polanski did something terrible to a child in the 70s and then he ran away from his agreed-upon consequence. I'm not French, I'm not Swiss, so I can't speak to what they were thinking to not extradite him until now.
I don't know what people are thinking when they shake Roman Polanski's hand or say that his achievements and contributions to 'art' should weigh against his crime. When they applauded his Oscar win at the Academy Awards. Of course, he couldn't accept it in person because he can't come to the US without going to prison for sexually assaulting a child.
He makes good movies. Whoopi Goldberg is not pleased that he may go to jail, apparently. I'm not an actor, and I'm sure as hell not Whoopi Goldberg, so I have no idea what she's thinking.
I don't know what sexual assault survivors are thinking when they see that happen, either. They likely also don't understand what is essentially inexplicable - applaud a guy who plied a 13 year old with drugs and alcohol and then had sex with her. This guy (Polanski) did it, and all those important/famous people know it, and are applauding him anyway. How does that work?
I don't care how old he is, I don't care how good his movies are. What do I know? He sexually assaulted a kid - I wouldn't shake his hand, I won't watch his movies, I don't think his contributions to art or anything could outweigh his crime. Justice doesn't work that way. I want him in jail.
/bethan rant
Showing posts with label SOL on CSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SOL on CSA. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
WA SB 5832 - Extending the SOL on CSA
WA SB 5832, extending the statute of limitation on CSA has passed through the House (97-0!), and is on the way to the Governor's desk!
Please email the Governor and let her know why you support this bill.
I'd like to say "Thank You" to Don Brockett for his inspirational dedication to this effort.
Many people step up to fight for a legislative cause, and many people slow or stop the fight after the first year; most stop after the second year, and very few continue on into the third and subsequent years.
Don has held true to his commitment and beliefs for much longer than that. I truly believe that we would not have this bill on the way to the Governor's office right now if it weren't for Don and his absolute determination.
And now I'm knocking on wood - don't want to jinx it! Email the Governor!
Please email the Governor and let her know why you support this bill.
I'd like to say "Thank You" to Don Brockett for his inspirational dedication to this effort.
Many people step up to fight for a legislative cause, and many people slow or stop the fight after the first year; most stop after the second year, and very few continue on into the third and subsequent years.
Don has held true to his commitment and beliefs for much longer than that. I truly believe that we would not have this bill on the way to the Governor's office right now if it weren't for Don and his absolute determination.
And now I'm knocking on wood - don't want to jinx it! Email the Governor!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
SB 5832 in Rules!
ACTION In Washington - Contact your legislator! Is your legislator on the House Rules Committee? Call!
Senate Bill 5832 - Allowing the prosecution of sex offenses against minor victims until the victim's twenty-eighth birthday if the offense is listed in RCW 9A.04.080(1) (b)(iii)(A) or (c).
After three years, we know that good bills often die in well-intended committees! Call your legislators and ask them to support this bill! Let them know we'll be following-up to see who said nice things but did nothing, and who actively worked to bring justice to the victims of child sexual assault.
If you prefer to email, or if you want to organize your community and do some dedicated and polite emailing, you can use this link: All member list. If you go that route, please be polite and don't spam.
Senate Bill 5832 - Allowing the prosecution of sex offenses against minor victims until the victim's twenty-eighth birthday if the offense is listed in RCW 9A.04.080(1) (b)(iii)(A) or (c).
After three years, we know that good bills often die in well-intended committees! Call your legislators and ask them to support this bill! Let them know we'll be following-up to see who said nice things but did nothing, and who actively worked to bring justice to the victims of child sexual assault.
If you prefer to email, or if you want to organize your community and do some dedicated and polite emailing, you can use this link: All member list. If you go that route, please be polite and don't spam.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Testimony on Behalf of WA SB 5832
Last year, our membership told us that the Statutes of Limitation for Child Sexual Assault was a priority for them. We were told that they (SOL on CSA) were too complicated, they weren’t long enough, they weren’t fair, and they weren’t realistic.
We spent a considerable number of hours over March and April of 2008 learning enough to form a reasonable opinion. We spoke with social workers who work with child victims, memory researchers, psychologist child trauma specialists, law school teachers, police officers, legislators, adult survivors of CSA, and defense lawyers. We went out and learned, and came back and worked through it all, and formed an opinion.
We know that most victims of CSA were abused by their father or a close male authority figure.
We know that victims of CSA are raised in dysfunctional environments, often with more issues than just the CSA.
We know that predators work to create an environment where kids tolerate and/or accept the abuse, because of threats or training.
We know that children who are abused by one person are much more likely to be abused by another person. It’s called polyvictimization, and it’s something dealt with by foster kids, and by children who have been trained to think that sexual exploitation is normal.
We know that these children often feel tremendous shame for what was done to them, and what they want more than anything else is to feel safe and secured from the constant risk that is their life.
We know that these children are likely to have issues with authority, to be self-destructive, to have post traumatic stress disorder, to tolerate abuse because abuse and love aren’t dissimilar to them.
We know that therapy, depending on the age of onset, duration, and extremity of abuse, may take two years or 20 years to achieve a ‘healthy’ emotional balance.
And we expect them to overcome all of this in the three years between 18 and 21?
For our community, for the children of our community, we ask you to move SB 5832 forward. We ask you to actively support SB 5832 as it makes its way through the house and is signed into law.
We spent a considerable number of hours over March and April of 2008 learning enough to form a reasonable opinion. We spoke with social workers who work with child victims, memory researchers, psychologist child trauma specialists, law school teachers, police officers, legislators, adult survivors of CSA, and defense lawyers. We went out and learned, and came back and worked through it all, and formed an opinion.
What do we know?
We know that, according to the DOJ, in 2007 67% of all reported sex crimes were committed upon minors. 14% of all reported sex crimes were committed upon children under 6. The Crimes against Children Research Center has stated that the crime is likely very under-reported.We know that most victims of CSA were abused by their father or a close male authority figure.
We know that victims of CSA are raised in dysfunctional environments, often with more issues than just the CSA.
We know that predators work to create an environment where kids tolerate and/or accept the abuse, because of threats or training.
We know that children who are abused by one person are much more likely to be abused by another person. It’s called polyvictimization, and it’s something dealt with by foster kids, and by children who have been trained to think that sexual exploitation is normal.
We know that these children often feel tremendous shame for what was done to them, and what they want more than anything else is to feel safe and secured from the constant risk that is their life.
We know that these children are likely to have issues with authority, to be self-destructive, to have post traumatic stress disorder, to tolerate abuse because abuse and love aren’t dissimilar to them.
We know that therapy, depending on the age of onset, duration, and extremity of abuse, may take two years or 20 years to achieve a ‘healthy’ emotional balance.
And we expect them to overcome all of this in the three years between 18 and 21?
The Statutes of Limitations, as they stand, are not just. They do not serve justice.
The current SOL on CSA are not reasonable. SB 5832 shows reason. SB 5832 provides more time to achieve economic independence, social independence, and therapy, so that the child may mature and safely report.For our community, for the children of our community, we ask you to move SB 5832 forward. We ask you to actively support SB 5832 as it makes its way through the house and is signed into law.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Reporting & Statutes of Limitation
In many states, there is no Statute of Limitation [SOL] on Childhood Sexual Assault [CSA]. In fact, a few states don't have SOL for any sexual assault, and some states don't have any SOL for any felonies, period!
Every state is different, and the framers made that possible on purpose. In WA, we have a 3 year SOL on almost everything. Right or wrong, that's the way it is right now.
Nothing says we can't work to change that, however.
Surprisingly, Victim Advocates in WA are not in support of removing the SOL from CSA. Very few groups are in support of it, in fact. Wash-CAP thinks that it wouldn't be a bad thing, but that it's not a total fix for victims of CSA.
To get that opinion, we interviewed researchers at UW, victims, and prosecutors. If anyone wants more details, email me.
So, we came up with a compromise, and have started working on consensus for it:
When we came up with the idea, we were discussing what specific issues victims need addressed. We determined that victims may need
- to know that they’re not ‘allowing’ the predator to commit more crimes due to their lack of reporting,
- to know that they’ve sought justice for themselves, and
- to speak out against their abuser
- SOL be extended to 25 y/o for all felony CSA.
This is for the following reasons:
>The majority of abuse takes place within the home, and in the majority of cases the abuser is in direct control of the child and is also the person paying for the child’s car, college, etc.
>The extension allows the child time to find therapy [free therapy in college without risk of mandatory reporting], complete college/trade school, and establish financial and social independence from the abusive environment. - Victims would be able to submit affidavits detailing the facts of the abuse as they remember it. Those affidavits would
>Be held by law enforcement
>Be “searchable” by law enforcement [databased]
>Be admissible in court
>Have no SOL - The accused would be notified of the affidavit and would be able to provide a response.
We leave it to the wisdom of the legislature as to whether these affidavits would be accessible to the public. Perhaps the facts of the affidavit, but not the identifying information.
We're open to suggestions and opinions.
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