Lulu & Leo’s Law targets lying nannies
Gov. Cuomo signed a bill on Thursday — named after the two Manhattan kids savagely murdered by their nanny — that makes it a crime for caretakers to lie about their credentials.
Lulu and Leo’s Law is designed to prevent the kind of tragedy that stole the lives of Lucia (Lulu) Krim, 6, and her brother Leo, 2.
The children (below) were stabbed by their deranged nanny in the family’s Upper West Side apartment in October 2012.
The victims’ parents hired caregiver Yoselyn Ortega after she submitted a doctored reference letter written by the woman’s niece.
In reality, Ortega had no child care experience outside of briefly watching a relative’s kid.
The bill makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months behind bars, for a prospective nanny to pump up their resumes with fake references or other misleading information.
“No parent should fear harm to their children by the very people entrusted to protect them,” Cuomo said.
“As the father of three daughters, I cannot imagine the horror and the heartbreak experienced by the Krim family and while nothing can erase that, I’m proud to sign this law that will help protect New York children and provide some peace of mind to their parents and loved ones,” Cuomo said.
Father Kevin Krim cheered the news of the signing, which was sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Lanza (RS.I.) and Assemblyman Steve Otis (DWestchester).
“We hired the woman who murdered our children based on a deliberate set of lies,” Krim said. “Thanks to Gov. Cuomo’s support and the hard work of sponsors Assemblyman Otis, Sen. Lanza and their co-sponsor, there is now a strong deterrent to that kind of deception. We’re honored and grateful that Lulu and Leo’s powerful legacy includes protecting vulnerable children, parents, guardians and caregivers.”
Ortega was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
“The bottom line is that the person that the Krims hired was not the person that they were led to believe that she was because they were lied to,” Lanza said.