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The Malouf Foundation Hosts Successful Inaugural Trafficking Policy and Education Summit
April 17, 2021 19:48 ET |
Source: Malouf Foundation
LOGAN, UT, April 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Malouf Foundation hosted their inaugural Human Trafficking Policy and Education Summit. As part of its mission to provide education, promote healing, and ensure justice for trafficking survivors, the Malouf Foundation invited political leaders, industry experts, as well as trafficking and abuse survivors to share how they are working to make a difference against one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world.
Keynote speaker for the event was former National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien. Ambassador O’Brien shared a global perspective on trafficking, discussing the international implications of an industry worth billions and adding topical context to help distinguish labor and sex trafficking.
“I want to thank the Malouf Foundation for having me today. Forums like these are essential to build awareness on these violations of human rights, and it’s our moral responsibility to continue having these discussions,” said O’Brien, after the event. “It was especially moving to hear survivors of trafficking speak.”
Directly following Ambassador O’Brien’s keynote address, Coco Berthmann, Julie Whitehead, and Elizabeth Frazier—three survivors of sex trafficking—shared their stories. These women are passionate activists who use their experience and first-hand knowledge to inform policy and affect change. The panel was moderated by Heather Fischer, who served as the first-ever White House Czar and special advisor for human trafficking.
Whitehead said, “The Summit was an amazing platform to share our insights on the different aspects of our experiences and how that knowledge might help current and future survivors, as well as help spread awareness to everyone from law enforcement, politicians, and the general public.” She continued, “It was a very validating experience and left me feeling empowered. Using my story in a positive and impactful way is important in helping me cope with my trauma, so I am very grateful to have been a part of the Summit.”
Fischer said, “It was an honor to facilitate this conversation with survivors. I know from experience that prioritizing survivor voices is absolutely essential for this cause, and I was glad to see the Malouf Foundation make that a focus of the event.”
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), then added his insights on domestic trafficking and the important role of bipartisanship in effective policy. Senator Lee reported a success story of public-private partnership, where he was able to partner with the Malouf Foundation to assist an aftercare initiative that brought ten Venezuelan women recently rescued from sexual servitude to the United States. These survivors are now able to pursue healing in a safe house.
In the afternoon sessions, Representatives Blake Moore (R-Utah), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), and John Curtis (R-Utah), narrowed in on trafficking in Utah—and why they’re committed to education and awareness. Topics included planned legislation and how to achieve authentic bipartisan support and long-term success.
I'm curious as to why there were no Democrats there? Were they not invited? Was this more political than it might appear?
Elizabeth Smart, founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and Deondra Brown, a member of The 5 Browns and founder of Foundation for Survivors of Abuse, discussed their experiences and initiatives. Survivors of child sexual abuse and sexual assault, Smart and Brown communicated the stigmas, setbacks, and misconceptions around cases like theirs, and how attendees at the Summit could help empower survivors.
"Deondra and I had the privilege to discuss child sexual abuse and how to best help anyone recover from past trauma,” Smart shared. “Abuse, trafficking and exploitation are difficult topics, but it's important to discuss these issues so as a community we can all heal and move forward together. This Summit promotes both healing and actionable solutions. Together, we can make a difference."
The closing panel focused on the public-private partnership, a major avenue for many of the guests to get involved in the cause. Panelists were Ambassador John Cotton Richmond from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Sam Malouf, co-founder of Malouf™ and the Malouf Foundation, David Stirling, co-founder and CEO of doTerra and the Healing Hands Foundation, and Steve Young, co-founder of the Forever Young Foundation. Conversation centered on how government and businesses can work together to affect change.
Sam Malouf said, “Today’s event accomplished more than we could have ever imagined. Kacie and I were so grateful to host these initial conversations at our headquarters, but we know that this is only the beginning.” He added, “There is so much more work to do. During periods of open questions with panelists, two attendees came forward as survivors of abuse. The goal of the Malouf Foundation is to continue creating spaces like today’s Summit to empower survivors.”
New legislation aims to give Louisiana victims of child sex abuse more time to come forward with a claim against their abuser
Louisiana State Capitol(WAFB)
By WVUE Staff
Published: Apr. 17, 2021 at 1:56 PM PDT
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -State Representative Jason Hughes of New Orleans says he has an obligation to victims of child sex abuse to fight on their behalf.
“Since I have filed this bill, I have heard from victims around the State, I have also heard from families, unfortunately, victims, that took their lives because it was just so overwhelming,” said Rep. Hughes, D-New Orleans.
Hughes recently filed House Bill 492, the legislation that would give survivors of sexual abuse more time to come forward with a claim against their abuser in Civil Court.
“This bill would extend the statute of limitations from 10 years to 35 years, because, unfortunately, children that are victims of child sexual abuse face so much trauma, they face embarrassment and often times it takes them many years before they’re ready to actually come forward and face their predator,” said Rep. Hughes.
Sexual abuse survivor Richard Windmann, who is also President of the organization, Survivors of Childhood Sex Abuse, supports the bill and says it’s long been needed, especially when you consider most victims aren’t ready to come forward until well into adulthood.
“It raises awareness that the victims and survivors know that people, the leadership of the state care and lets them know that constituents care about their safety and their sanctity and I think it will go a long way for those souls who suffer in silence to finally have an avenue or vector for healing,” said Windmann.
Hughes says his bill is about empowering victims and giving them justice. “It’s about helping them bring some sense of closure and it’s also about exposing these predators,” Hughes said.
Rep. Hughes says he plans to bring forward his bill in the next couple of weeks.
Colorado will lift time limits in 2022 for victims to sue child sex abusers
Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill into law Thursday and it’ll take effect Jan. 1, 2022
Colorado State Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet pulls on latex gloves while wearing a face mask to carry out business on the floor of the House of Representatives Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in downtown Denver. Lawmakers reconvened the 2020 session, which was suspended to deal with the new coronavirus in March, facing the prospect of making deep cuts in the budget Tuesday. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
By SAJA HINDI | The Denver Post
April 16, 2021 at 8:04 a.m.
With a few simple strokes of his pen, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law Thursday something that was decades in the making: removing the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse to sue — no matter how much time has passed.
Senate Bill 21-073 was sent to the governor on April 8 and the law will take effect Jan. 1, 2022. It doesn’t apply retroactively, so victims whose statute of limitations have already expired will not be able to sue their abusers in civil court.
The law will apply for any civil case where:
the statute of limitations hasn’t yet expired;
the abuse happened in Colorado; and
the abuse could be considered a felony or Class 1 misdemeanor if it was a criminal case.
The governor noted he was signing the bill during Child Abuse Prevention Month, saying “there’s no place for red tape between survivors and healing in Colorado.” He was joined by bill sponsors, advocates and survivors of sexual abuse.
“While we know this bill will not of course repair all the harm that many survivors have endured in their lives, we know that it will provide hope and solace moving forward,” he said.
Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, one of the bill’s sponsors, said when lawmakers killed the bill last year as the pandemic took hold, it was devastating.
The Commerce City Democrat is a sexual assault survivor. She was first abused when she was 7 years old, and it took her more than 30 years to tell others.
“For survivors, it is an affirmation that we are putting into law that we believe you and that we will hear you out and that we won’t shut you down before you have had an appropriate opportunity to heal before you are ready to come forward,” she said of the bill finally passing.
She added that many of the advocates who have been pushing for this bill for decades won’t be able to benefit from it, but it will protect others moving forward. Colorado will join at least a dozen other states who have enacted similar legislation.
“It’s really a mix of emotions,” Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault Policy Director Raana Simmons said of the bill signing. “This is a policy concept that I inherited, and I’m the third policy director at CCASA on this bill.”
The “lookback window” that would have revived expired cases did not make it into this year’s bill because of constitutionality concerns.
However, a companion bill, SB21-088, was introduced that would allow people to sue institutions or youth groups for past sexual abuse suffered by people connected to the institutions. The measure is still making its way through the legislature, waiting on its second Senate committee hearing.
Both bills have bipartisan sponsorship, though some institutions like the Colorado Catholic Conference took issue with them. The Colorado Catholic Church has had allegations of child sex abuse of 212 victims by priests. In a statement in March, the Colorado Catholic Conference said it supports “a reasonable and fair extension of the civil statute of limitations” but that there should be a limit. The statement said the group is also concerned with constitutional and due process issues with SB21-088.
Of course they are. They really don't want to accept responsibility for the evil they have committed.
Towards a child-focused criminal justice system
Winston Zahra, Lisa Maria Foundation, Malta
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Time-barring has devastating effects on victims of sexual abuse
April 15, 2021|
Winston Zahra
Very few people would disagree that time barring for cases of child sexual abuse must go. The Lisa Maria Foundation has pushed for this to happen for the past few years and has recently once again asked the government to remove it. This is the least the country, and its criminal justice system, can do for victims of sexual abuse. We must ensure that perpetrators do not walk free and be given the opportunity to disrupt the childhood, and lives, of other children due to the presence of a legal deadline.
Earlier this month, the Lisa Maria Foundation held a meeting with Family and Children’s Rights Minister, Michael Falzon to reiterate our request to remove time barring. We were pleased to find that the minister was willing to act on our request and we look forward to progress being made in this regard and, ultimately, the removal of time barring for cases of child sexual abuse in the near future.
It is a fact that time-barring has devastating effects on victims of sexual abuse. Having finally matured enough and worked up the courage to speak out about their abuse, they find out that justice is denied because a certain amount of time would have passed since the abuse took place.
We have had cases of sexual predators walking free as their heinous acts had been time-barred in terms of law. This is absolutely senseless and dangerous. Just because of the passage of time, perpetrators are not only let off the hook but also allowed to continue to roam free with the possibility of harming other minors.
Victims of child sexual abuse need time to address the trauma they have experienced. They have had their childhood robbed and safeguards should be in place to support victims to speak up. The criminal justice system needs to be more child focused. It must ensure that the time barring concept is not abused of, to the detriment of the victim and in favour of the offender. Abusers must face the consequences of their actions no matter how long ago such abuse would have taken place. This is the least we owe children who have suffered abuse.
As a result of the time barring mechanism, offenders also avoid being put onto the Sex Offenders Register, again giving them easier access to children as they continue living under the radar. Our foundation believes that it is painfully obvious how wrong this is.
The Lisa Maria Foundation has also long insisted that access to the Sex Offenders Register for all institutions employing people who have a duty of care towards children must be made easier, faster and free of charge.
Employers, organisations and educators entrusted with the care of children should be given an easier way to check if a prospective recruit is on the register. The process that they have to go through to ensure that any member of staff who comes into contact with children in their care is not a predator is currently very cumbersome.
We must ensure that perpetrators do not walk free and given the opportunity to disrupt the childhood, and lives, of other children due to the presence of a legal deadline
- Winston Zahra
As it is the Registrar of the Civil Court who manages the sex offenders list, those entrusted with the care of children must first go to their lawyer who in turn files an application before the First Hall of the Civil Court. The application is also sent to the attorney general who has seven days to reply to the request. Following this, the application and reply are seen by a judge who appoints a hearing at which the parties make submissions detailing the name of the person they want to check.
In case that permission is granted, the judge orders the Court Registrar to check the register for the requested name and inform the applicants of the outcome of the search. This process could take a very long time, allowing sexual predators listed on the register to be in contact with children in the meantime.
The foundation has, on various occasions, stated that it is absurd to expect a sexual predator to inform a potential employer that he/she is on the register, as the law requires. Access to the register must be made easy, fast and free without risking data protection breaches.
The current situation must change from one which is inclined to protect the rights of those who have committed a serious crime and move towards protecting innocent people, especially children, from potential harm from these offenders. The foundation has made recommendations on how this can easily be done and urges the government to take action on this without further delay.
The Lisa Maria Foundation remains committed to see these changes through and will continue working to ensure that they are implemented in the shortest time possible. With every day that passes, the risk of another child being sexually abused is higher than it needs to be.
We have to collectively ensure that we do everything possible to eliminate these crimes from our society and, when they happen, ensure that the perpetrator meets with the strongest possible punishment and is not given the opportunity to hide behind deficiencies in our legal system.
The Lisa Maria Foundation is an NGO with an over-arching objective to safeguard children and young people from harm.
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