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The "Unnamed Children's Law" passes in Maryland |
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Wednesday, 04 April 2007 19:00 |
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Back in February, the Newswire reported on a bill by Maryland House Delegate Sue Hecht to get rid of special preferential treatment for predators who sexually assault their own children.
Under Maryland law, those offenders (if they go to prison at all) can rack up "good time" credits faster than other sex offenders and get out early. We are happy to report that -- on an Annapolis political battlefield littered with dead child protection bills -- Hecht's bill survived and now goes to the Governor to be signed into law.
Following passage of the bill, Hecht reflected on the fact that her important bill -- which protects the majority of child sexual assault victims -- was overshadowed by a weak and watered down Jessica's Law. "This is the unnamed children's law."
PROTECT thanks Delegate Hecht and the Maryland correctional officers who brought this outrage to her attention. Our congratulations also go out to the PROTECT members and volunteers who helped push for this bill behind the scenes. Chief among them were National Capitol Area Chair Jason Siroff and well-known PROTECT fighter Alison Arngrim, who put the House leadership on notice early that the world was watching.
PROTECT has "been successful in every one of our "Circle of Trust" campaigns because we simply take the fight to the people..." Arngrim wrote in a letter to House leaders and committee members. "Every time, we have found that when the people were made aware of the law and their opportunity to change it, they spoke up. And loudly!"
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