WHAT’S THE HOLDUP?
Gov urged to sign ‘Erin’s Law’ to prevent abuse
ALBANY — With the oneyear window granting child sexual abuse victims a chance to seek justice now wide open, advocates are turning their attention to other ways of assisting survivors and combating predators.
One priority is getting Gov. Cuomo to sign off on “Erin’s Law,” a piece of legislation passed by the Senate and Assembly months ago that mandates public schools teach age-appropriate sex abuse prevention.
Erin Merryn, the bill’s namesake and a survivor of sexual abuse, said she is frustrated by the governor’s slow response.
“It’s just amazing to me. What’s the holdup?” she told the Daily News.
Merryn wants to see Cuomo hold a public signing so that longtime proponents of the legislation, such as “The Good Wife” actress Julianna Margulies, can attend.
“I keep asking if they can give us a date, and I’m getting nothing, no answers,” she said. “How difficult is it to set aside an hour? It’s not going to take all day. You take a pen and paper and you sign it.”
The law, first introduced in New York in 2012, takes effect the July following the signing — meaning the earliest it can now be rolled out would be the 2020 school year.
Already on the books in 37 states, the law requires educators to dedicate times each school year to teach children in kindergarten through eighth grade about child sexual abuse and personal body safety.
Kids would receive lessons on how to speak up about anything that makes them uncomfortable and tell the differences between “good and bad” touches.
Parents and school staff would also be educated on recognizing signs of abuse.
Bill sponsor and sexual abuse survivor Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx) called the measure a companion piece to the Child Victims Act, which changed the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases and created the oneyear civil suit lookback that began last week.
“I think they work hand-inhand,” she said. “I wish so much that I had this instruction and education, because the pain and the suffering wouldn’t have lasted for 20plus years.
“The goal is that not only do we stop the abuse, but we are also giving children the tools to be able to communicate what happened to them … and to remove that layer of shame that is very closely linked to abuse and which ultimately silences people,” she added.
Cuomo spokeswoman Caitlin Girouard said the legislation is still being evaluated by the administration.
“We 100% agree with the intent of the bill and want to ensure it’s implemented correctly,” she said. “The bill language remains under review by counsel’s office.”
Gary Greenberg, a longtime advocate of the Child Victims Act who was sexually
assaulted by a hospital orderly when he was 7 years old, echoed the calls for Cuomo to step up and sign the bill.
“Education is the most important tool for children to be able to speak up and stop the abuse before it starts,” he said.
He also feels more can be done for his fellow survivors.
He wants to see the state enact a child victim reconciliation and compensation fund meant to help those whose abusers were not part of a major institution such as a church or school.
“In a lot of cases, such as mine, the abuser is penniless or in jail, or has no affiliation with any organization or institution, so lawyers are not taking cases because there is not enough money to gain,” Greenberg argues.
Under his proposal, which was included in previous versions of the Child Victims Act, survivors would be able to file a claim with the fund, which would then be investigated by a team of experts. An administrator would oversee the fund and dole out money in certain circumstances.
“Set a criteria, it’s not just a handout,” Greenberg said. “These victims would be able to go to a fund where they could get help for therapy or be reimbursed for therapy, or if they need medicine or if they’re facing hard times.”
Biaggi said she was open to the idea, but would want to see more details, and she encouraged lawyers to take up pro bono work under the current law and help as many victims as possible.
Girouard, Cuomo’s representative, said the governor would review “any proposal that will help victims get the justice they deserve.”