T&T: History made as law for National
Sex Offender Register passed
ALINA DOODNATH Sex Offender Register passed
CARIBBEAN NEWS
History was made in Trinidad and Tobago after legislation providing for a National Sex Offender Register was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives on Friday night.
The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed without amendment with 28 for, none against and no abstentions.
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the purpose of the legislation is to provide more protections for children against crimes of sexual abuse.
“Call it what you will, the evidence is that abuse happens across Trinidad and Tobago. If we can’t identify what is wrong with our society…we are spinning the proverbial top in the mud. That’s why our laws for many years have not had the bite they ought to have,” he said, during his presentation in Parliament on Friday.
Al-Rawi said data compiled by the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago between 2015-2018 showed that over 80 per cent of child sex abuse reports involved girls, as compared to around 15 per cent for boys.
He said there were reports of sexual abuse against babies from as young 0-11 months, and as much as 21 per cent of reports involved children under the age of 14.
“A child not even one year old, 0.4 per cent (of reports gathered),” he said.
Rape cases can take >14 years
He also referred to the delay in court matters involving sexual assault cases. “(For) A victim of rape…statistical demonstration shows here that we have people waiting…for their matters for over 14 years…visiting the court, month after month…to be violated all over again…the matters don’t go fast enough,” he said.
The Bill outlines for the provision of a National Sexual Offender Register (for offenders over 18), however, the names on this list would only be made available to the public via a court order.
The Bill was previously passed unanimously in the Senate.
This story doesn't really read like good news, but the passing of this bill is a positive step; a very small, but positive step. Overhauling the courts would be a bigger step. Teaching children about good-touch/bad-touch, would be a big step. Training the police and creating safe places for children to be deposed would be a big step.
Hopefully, T&T will keep moving on this file until some difference is made.
Kazakh draft law would toughen penalties
for rape, child sexual abuse
BY STAFF REPORT in NATION
Astana Times
NUR-SULTAN – A draft law is being developed to make penalties more stringent for rape and child sexual abuse, Deputy Prosecutor General Murat Akhmetzhanov said at a Sept. 11 press conference.
“The draft law is being prepared to further improve the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. It includes amendments to toughen liability for intentionally committing certain types of serious and grave crimes. For example, liability for committing a crime that violates sexual integrity will be increased – rape and sexual assault, even without aggravating circumstances, will be categorised as grave crimes,” he said.
In particular, the draft law will provide stricter criminal liability for those committing child sexual abuse.
“Committing a sex offence against a minor will mean imprisonment for life or at least 20 years [behind bars],” he added. “The draft law will also provide for stricter criminal liability for concealing a corruption offense, failing to report on the preparation and commission of an act of terrorism, concealing child sexual abuse and failing to report paedophilia.”
Akhmetzhanov noted failing to report paedophiles will be classified as a serious crime with a maximum sentence of up to six years in prison.
“This criminal punishment targets the employees and leadership of specialised children’s institutions that conceal sexual abuse of children under their roofs. The same liability will hold for parents and guardians,” he said.
The draft law is to be submitted to Parliament for consideration by the end of the year.
In his Sept. 2 state of the nation address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for toughening penalties “for sexual violence, paedophilia, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other serious crimes, especially those against children.”
“We have moved away from excessively repressive measures and harsh punitive practices. However, numerous serious crimes still occur in the country. We got carried away with the humanisation of legislation, having lost sight of the fundamental rights of citizens,” he said.
Excellent! Very good, Mr President!
Project seen as ‘game changer’ in helping
child abuse victims in Western Ireland
Barnahus, Onehouse Galway brings gardaí, forensics, social workers and therapists under one roof
Conor Gallagher in GalwayIrish Times
Charlie Flanagan and Dr Katherine Zappone at the Barnahus, Onehouse Galway pilot project.
Photograph: Fennell Photography
She looked down and then to the side. There was a long pause before she responded. “I got confused.”
She agreed she told the detective her relative had stopped sexually abusing her in November and that she told a social worker the abuse continued until February of the following year.
In his address to the jury the defence barrister kept referring back to this and other similar inconsistencies saying they raised “issues about credibility.” The man was later acquitted.
The exchange occurred in 2014 but similar courtroom scenes have taken place many times before and since.
Memories, like forensic evidence, degrade with time. This is especially true when children are concerned. Research shows repeatedly interviewing child abuse victims can lead to distorted memories and, as a result, less credible testimony. This is particularly true if the interviewer is not specially trained.
It is hoped the Barnahus, Onehouse Galway pilot project will go some way towards addressing this issue.
“Game changer” was the term repeatedly used at the project’s launch at NUIG on Monday. The initiative, which originated in the Nordic countries, brings all the services needed by child abuse victims under one roof. This includes gardaí, forensic examiners, social workers and therapists.
In theory a child who has been sexually abused could record a video statement with specialised garda interviewers, have DNA samples taken and have a counselling plan put in place all in one day without having the leave the building.
One of the key objectives is to minimise the number of times children have to tell their stories, according to the project’s staff. This reduces the trauma on the child and leads to better evidence if the case goes to court.
“It cannot be ignored that a particularly traumatic outcome of sexual abuse is often the interaction between the victim and the criminal justice system,” Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said at Monday’s launch.
Mr Flanagan joined Minister for Children Katherine Zappone and representatives of the Garda, Tusla and the HSE in offering enthusiastic praise and promises of continued support for Barnahaus.
In general terms the centre deals with two types of cases, said Dr Joanne Nelson, the Clinical Director for Galway’s child and adolescent sexual assault treatment unit, where the project is based.
First there are the cases where the abuse is very recent. “This is where there is a capacity to obtain forensic evidence such as swabs and DNA. So those needs take priority. With children those cases are few and far between thankfully. They’re more prevalent with adolescents and adults.”
More common are the cases of historic sexual abuse. “You don’t get DNA evidence because most children don’t disclose abuse until sometime later. This is for a variety of reasons, not least because they don’t feel safe,” Dr Nelson said.
“In those cases there can be a little bit of time afforded to planning. The vision of Barnahaus is when there is an allegation there can be a meeting of all agencies and a plan can be put in place.”
As a pilot project, Barnahaus is limited in scope. For now it only covers the west and mid-west but Dr Nelson hopes to see it expand nationwide with centres is Dublin and Cork and satellite facilities in more remote areas.
There are some shortcomings. Currently children must share a building with adult victims attending the sexual assault treatment centre and due to space constraints Garda interviews still take place off-site.
Nevertheless the project is seen by child advocates such former Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Geoffery Shannon, as a valuable step in the right direction.
“If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes all agencies working together to protect a child,” Mr Shannon said.
It's not really protecting the child, but mitigating the damage, and, hopefully, improving what is usually a dismal conviction rate.
I'm not criticising the program; I think it's great, and hope they are able to separate child victims from adult victims as that problem is very concerning for me. And, having Garda interviews on-site would be less stressful for the child.
It would be nice, however, if various institutions could come together and form a comprehensive plan to prevent child sex abuse from occurring in the first place.
Multiple community efforts fight to end
sexual violence in Idaho
By: Ariel Schroeder sexual violence in Idaho
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) -
The best way to solve a problem may be to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Every year, brave men put on women's high heels and try to walk a mile in her shoes., and that's exactly what a group of men did Tuesday evening in Idaho Falls.
It's called the International Men's March. Men of all ages in Idaho Falls took part in the mile walk, strolling in glamorous and, for some, uncomfortable, women's shoes.
The purpose of the walk is to raise money and send a message to spectators that the men are here to put an end to sexual violence.
Another initiative to stop sexual violence took place in Idaho Falls earlier Tuesday morning.
The start of a two-day informative conference was held at the Hilton Inn, where law enforcement and other community support organizations learned new methods on how to combat childhood sexual violence.
Sexual violence comes in all forms and affects all age groups.
Building Hope Today is an organization in Idaho Falls that fights child sexual violence.
"This group here in Idaho Falls already has national reach," Building Hope Today project manager David Alexander said. "We are literally going to lower childhood sexual abuse around America through this local organization."
"All of these different people are here to make up a team that is comprised to help investigate and prosecute child sex abuse cases," Bonneville prosecuting attorney Daniel Clark said.
Those community members and law enforcement members are experts on the reality of the dangers to our children.
"Historically, child sex abuse is stranger danger or is someone who is like the creepy old man with a lollipop in the park," Clark said, "That's what we grew up thinking. The reality is that's not the case. Eighty percent to 90% of victims of an older abuser and vice versa, these are people who infiltrate themselves into a victim's life in order to abuse them and to groom the victim as well as the entire family in order to be able to do this."
Actually, the majority of abusers are already in the family, if not the immediate family, then the extended family.
The conference where they met was filled with law enforcement members prepared to join the fight.
Building Hope for Today, officials say with their help, they will be able to finally end childhood sexual abuse.
That's absurd, of course! The only way child sex abuse will end is when Jesus returns. If BHT can slow the pace of the increase, that would be a great accomplishment. But I like their enthusiasm.
From a Weekly Update from
Praise God for eight children (six boys and two girls) who graduated last month from an eight-month trauma therapy program in Ghana.
All eight children were rescued out of forced labour trafficking in the fishing industry in May 2018, and exhibited signs of significant trauma in their behaviour and emotions.
After completing the program, they are now better able to deal with the symptoms of trauma. Social workers have observed that they are stronger and better able to process the abuse that happened in their past.
Praise God for the rescue and continued healing of these children.
IJM talks cybersex trafficking on TED
Texas Extends Sex Abuse Lawsuit Time-Limit
to 30 Years
Daily HornetThe Texas legislature passed House Bill 3809, a law that doubles the time-limit for survivors of sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits.
It will give survivors of sexual abuse up to 30 years to file a civil lawsuit against their abusers and the institutions that enabled abuse, doubling the time-limit from the current 15-year threshold.
The House initially exempted churches and nonprofits from the 30-year statute of limitations, but the Senate agreed to include the provision after hearing testimony from sex assault victims.
The Senate re-introduced a provision allowing lawsuits targeting “culpable entities,” which includes organizations like the Catholic Church and nonprofits like the Boy Scouts of America.
Lawmakers heard testimony from several people who were abused, including three gymnasts who were victimized by Larry Nassar, the convicted ex-doctor for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team.
The women argued that allowing survivors to file lawsuits against institutions will give those institutions a much stronger incentive to stop abusers and intervene.
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