Tag Archives: #SexTrafficking

Brand New NY Sex Trafficking Bill- Solution or Empty Refrigerator?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg

Today, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Senator Cordell Cleare announced the intro of Bills #S8722 and #S8723 in the NY State Senate. They are intended to prosecute against sex trafficking children and mentally disabled victims. They eliminate the statute of limitations on this B-Felony crime, extend the statute of limitations for civil cases, and add mentally disabled folks to the coverage for children.

Bravo, on one hand, with a capital “B” for “But” on the other!

These bills show exactly why our justice system is broken. #S8723 clearly states the intent is to: “increase penalties in a very narrow scope of crimes.”

Why deliberately keep protection narrow?

This language reflects the systemic mindset of our legal establishment and legislators to cow tow to pressures about “allocations” when addressing crimes. This knee-jerk reaction against expanding penal code reflects that they claim costs could sky-rocket out of control….. “How can our budgets handle the influx of these cases?”

“Allocations” is not only a nonsensical and totally unproven objection, if it actually were true, it would flatly demonstrate the need for change. The very concept that prosecutors consider it may be true, is positive proof of the awful fact that finances outweigh public safety in their minds, and the minds of the legislators we empower to protect us.

Instead of providing commonsense protections to ALL victims of sex trafficking, they confine improvements to the few.

What about the cost to victims?

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center estimates the costs of rape (and sex trafficking is yet another form of rape) at 3.1 trillion dollars.

Yes, of course we should protect children and our most vulnerable population. That’s a slam dunk! But what about the huge volume of sex trafficked individuals who do not fall within these stated categories. Ignoring their needs is a glaring omission.

#S8722 and #S8723 are low-hanging fruit bills that recognize the crime, but turn their back on the vast majority of victims. Whatever happened to the 14th amendment that granted EQUAL PROTECTION for ALL!!

And where is consent?

The following is a portion of DA Bragg’s statement regarding the bills:

Expanding Statutes of Limitations
 
Trauma, fear, and cultural stigmas frequently lead survivors to delay reporting to law enforcement. New York has recognized this issue by eliminating the statutes of limitation for B-felony sexual offenses, including first-degree rape and incest, as well as aggravated sexual abuse, and course of sexual conduct against a child. Similarly, in 2019 New York extended the period in which survivors of child sexual violence can commence a civil suit. 

Truly, “trauma, fear, and cultural stigmas” impede a victim’s interest in reporting a crime. But this insight fails to recognize the greatest deterrent of all…. these cases re-traumatize the victim because our penal laws fail to define consent. Instead, they base whether or not the victim consented on their words and conduct instead of recognizing that no matter what they said or did, if the accused maliciously influenced them to say or do those things, they did not consent.

Victims don’t come forward in a broken justice system that rips them to shreds instead of focusing on the influence of the accused. Only by correctly defining consent as “freely given, knowledgeable and informed agreement” in our penal code, can victims rely on the justice system to do its job. We must make this transformational change.

Providing survivors with a pathway to court, without the court having the tools to hold their offender accountable, is like handing a homeless person an empty refrigerator.

You can help!

Call DA Bragg at 212-335-9000, and NY State Senator Cordell Cleare at 212-222-7315, and say- “Regarding #S8722 /23; Please don’t leave adult victims behind!”

Then call your state and federal legislators. Demand change! Demand that they #CodifyConsent today! And if you want change in YOUR state, and you’re willing to roll up your sleeves to get it done, contact us at info@ConsentAwareness.net.

Force-Duress-Deception: Conflicts in Sexual Assault Laws

Force, Duress, Deception……Seems logical, right?

Friday- 3/20- According to the Associated Press- Toledo plastic surgeon, Manish Gupta, who also practiced in Michigan, was indicted for sex trafficking 20 female victims by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of illegally distributing a controlled substance. His case made front page news with the News-Herald, the Detroit Free Press, and the Sentinel Tribune.  And 24News WNWO covered the story.

Gupta is accused of drugging and assaulting escorts he hired when he traveled to medical conferences.  His medical license was revoked by the State of Ohio’s Medical Board.  Continue reading Force-Duress-Deception: Conflicts in Sexual Assault Laws

5 Fatherly ways to Protect kids from Sexual Assault – for #FathersDay and Forever!

Image result for fatherly photo

More and more, we’re seeing men take responsibility for preventing sexual assault. The ItsOnUs campaign focuses on men stepping in when they see potential or actual danger. And no one, neither mother nor father, wants their child harmed by a sexual predator.

The average age for a sex trafficked girl is 13. And boys are also sex traffic targets. Parents need to combat the dangers long before their Continue reading 5 Fatherly ways to Protect kids from Sexual Assault – for #FathersDay and Forever!

Why Federal Sex Trafficking Law but no Federal CONSENT definition?

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin

Rodin’s figure of The Thinker was originally cast for his design of “The Gates of Hell,” the entrance way to a museum that was never built. It’s planned use seems analogous to the harm all rape victims endure, regardless of how they were raped. And it’s high time all of society rethinks what constitutes sex vs. what constitutes sexual assault!

Laws set the stage for moral reasoning and should apply to all things, equally Continue reading Why Federal Sex Trafficking Law but no Federal CONSENT definition?

A Milestone Step Forward for CONSENT!

Author and Advocate Joyce Short, Indiana Representative Sally Siegrist, NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

July 25, 2018- NYC- A major milestone to define CONSENT took place today! Subsequent to my TEDx Talk, “When YES Means NO, the Truth About Consent,” two legislators, Indiana State Representative, Sally Siegrist (R) and NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright (D) pledged their bipartisan support to establish a clear definition for consent in the laws of their respectively red and blue states. This meeting of the minds shows that no matter what your politics, we can all unite against sexual assault!

Rep. Siegrist, who successfully fought for legislation to curb human trafficking in Indiana in last year’s legislative session, is determined to conquer sexual assault for her state. Here’s the link to her newsletter. Together with Assembly Member Seawright, a long time champion for women’s rights and the former Chair of the Board of the Feminist Press, they make a powerful pair!

Clearly defining consent will enable the police, prosecutors, judges and jurors to hold sexual predators accountable under the law and prevent the confusion between what constitutes “bad sex” or an actual sexual assault.

“Confusion over what consent actually is makes it difficult for society to comprehend. Our laws don’t tell us the definition. They only tell us what “consent” is not. We need laws to express the real meaning of consent…. Freely Given, Knowledgeable and Informed Agreement, #FGKIA,” says Short.

Both Indiana and NY will have legislative efforts to drive the issue of consent forward, and YOU can help! If you’ve been the victim of a sexual assault in either Indiana or NY and would like to speak out at a legislative hearing on this issue, please complete the totally private form below.

Also, if you are interested in helping to get other states to focus on this issue, please complete the form that follows.

Check whichever applies to you(required)

Sex Trafficking Bill- You can help..TODAY!

A federal bill to stop “Sex Trafficking” comes up for a vote on the House floor today! You can help by contacting your federal legislators to insist they enact this important bill into law!

Kids aged 12 to 16 are typically the targets of traffickers, but anyone can be lured or abducted into this sordid cycle of violence, drug abuse and defilement.

Here’s all you need to say when you call…..

I’m your constituent and I request you pass the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) today! And please be sure to pass the Mini Walters Amendment that holds internet companies responsible when third parties post information that enables sex trafficking on their sites!