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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 7, 2020 12:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator John P. Sabatina, Jr. |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Expanding protections for child victims, parents and guardians in child sex abuse cases |
| Soon, I plan to introduce legislation that expands name shielding protections made for minor victims in civil suits related to sexual assault to include a parent or guardian. Unfortunately, it is far too easy for child victims protected under name shielding laws to be exposed, when the suit is filed by the parent or guardian on behalf of the minor victim. Therefore, my legislation will automatically shield the name of a parent or guardian who files the civil suit for damages on behalf of an injured child victim. A judge may still release the name to the defendant if deemed necessary, however, those names must remain confidential, removing the potential harm of more public scrutiny to the already traumatized child. This effort is critical to ensuring child victims and their family face no barrier in seeking justice. For far too long child victims have remained silent due to the unrelenting pressures they face once speaking out. These existing loopholes that allow for the exposing of minor victims' identities, without their consent, must be closed. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as SB495