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<div><div style="display:none;display:none !important;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;height:0;width:0;font-size:0px">Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Co-sponsors Child Victims Act (A.5885-A)</div><div><div><div align="center"><div align="center" style="max-width:602px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"><table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" width="1" height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"></td><td align="center" valign="top" width="600"><table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="top"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_left.png"></td><td><a href="http://s.rs6.net/t?e=6rAQYC2n8i0&c=1&r=1"><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_fb.png" style="border:0"></a></td><td><a href="http://s.rs6.net/t?e=6rAQYC2n8i0&c=3&r=1"><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_twit.png" style="border:0"></a></td><td><a href="http://s.rs6.net/t?e=6rAQYC2n8i0&c=4&r=1"><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_linked.png" style="border:0"></a></td><td><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_divider.png" style="border:0"></td><td><a href="http://s.rs6.net/t?e=6rAQYC2n8i0&c=5&r=1"><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_more.png" style="border:0"></a></td><td><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_drw_right.png" style="border:0"></td><td style="padding-left:5px"><a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Assemblymember-Bichotte-Sponsors-Child-Victims-Act-to-Help-More-NYers-Seek-Justice.html?soid=1103413547828&aid=6rAQYC2n8i0#fblike"><img src="http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/shr_btn_like_sm.png" style="border:0"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td><img alt="" width="1" height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><img src="http://r20.rs6.net/on.jsp?a=1103413547828&r=3&c=681214d0-50f2-11e3-80e1-d4ae52a459cd&d=1128140237324&ch=6910e730-50f2-11e3-81ab-d4ae52a459cd&ca=64cd416d-c9be-489a-ae61-c88ed5b31834&o=https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/s.gif" height="1" width="1">
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<div style="font-size:14pt;text-align:left" align="left">For Immediate Release: </div>
<div style="font-size:14pt;text-align:left" align="left">June 10, 2017<br><br></div>
<div style="font-size:14pt;text-align:left" align="left">Contact: </div>
<div style="font-size:14pt;text-align:left" align="left">Rona Taylor </div>
<div style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="font-size:14pt">rtaylor.bfa@gmail.com</span><br><br></div>
<div>Assemblymember <br>Rodneyse Bichotte <br>passes legislation giving voice to childhood sexual abuse victims</div>
<div style="font-size:18pt">Child Victims Act helps more New Yorkers seek justice</div>
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<div style="text-align:left" align="left"><strong>Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Brooklyn)</strong> announced that the Assembly passed legislation she sponsored to ensure victims of childhood sexual abuse have the opportunity to bring charges against their abusers in a court of law (<a style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Ry0jUlrJc7oIl4bMyPhC2MuWpPgeXZmceXCiJIhogw83G1oOUPzDBZGo9MXdej9g0VzE-FZYZ-IKqnWdjpYRcIaTfjEs92TM5xibjZ8AlT1KWGi-dRhIQdZU7YrgxwMWxpVvWzSZKk7v4hU8Zqx7Mk9yqbZWq5TIcEb_2TBxPzpra7G1xHW3MIFsYxz1K_WcwLKV1AzTB3MddRUEi6NbQ1-fd1eTxWhEXNTRFAIACzhZL3ZwzUTAhzigTeYZ11fn9Az0inIC1KoI4suNz-eLkB-_XCOKAwldOkj2jUzf2nxccCzq4F_WWj4i1bZ3JgVHJz8pQ8sB7Da8g78WB-P-tX4qucEOWY0rY1PTZbcpoi0SUKUhSjQIU0qSveqEainnOJQIz6srfqyQ7vItwEwAtqudkMzIzQd7s2ysLJOoVNmwrzAfrRkTUMTYdlNhgHEz&c=Tn-Xojv6YQ6hvn-ntsY2dkob2KZEa6Re4u9EODPgv5EYH8qi2FbAXA==&ch=rti4Z6rd73kx9Bv6XTGfdVDl6esFiBqCileZ3tiVJiitSavjZ9XyTA==">A.5885-A</a>).<strong> The Child Victims Act</strong> extends the civil and the criminal statute of limitations and also creates a one-year "window" in which past victims will be able to seek justice in court.<br><br></div>
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<div>"Victims of childhood sexual abuse carry the trauma and pain with them for the rest of their lives," said <strong>Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte</strong>. "That's why we must do all we can to empower victims, allow them more time to seek justice and help them move on with their lives. The time for talk is over. Failure to pass this law is inexcusable."<br><br></div>
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<div style="font-size:16pt" align="left">With over 63,000 children sexually abused each year<a shape="rect">[1]</a> - and that's just the number of cases that are actually reported - it's imperative that victims have the support they need to recover and hold perpetrators accountable, noted <strong>Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte</strong>. Childhood sexual abuse can leave lifelong scars. Victims are more likely to struggle with drug abuse, experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and contend with severe depression.<a shape="rect">[2]</a><br><br>The Assembly bill would amend the criminal procedure law by adding five additional years for criminal charges to be brought - starting the clock at age 23, rather than at age 18 - as well as pushing back the statute of limitations to permit civil actions to be brought up until the victim's 50th birthday. The measure also creates a one-year window for past sexual abuse victims to commence a civil action. Most importantly, this one-year window would permit courts to consider claims by victims which were previously dismissed or were not brought at all due to the limitations previously contained in the law.<br></div>
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<div style="font-size:16pt" align="left">In addition, the Child Victims Act would treat public and private entities equally by removing the current notice of claim requirement for public entities. Under current law, an individual who plans to sue a public entity must notify the entity of the intent to do so within 90 days.<br><br></div>
<div style="font-size:16pt" align="left">The legislation would also:</div>
<ul><li style="font-size:16pt;text-align:left">require judges to undergo additional training for cases involving the sexual abuse of minors; and</li><li style="font-size:16pt;text-align:left">give these revived civil cases a trial preference so they are more rapidly moved forward in court. This recognizes that in many instances, these victims have already had to wait for years to be able to seek justice.</li></ul>
<div style="font-size:16pt" align="left">"We need to change our laws to reflect the fact that victims often take years to come to terms with what happened to them and disclose their past abuse," said <strong>Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte</strong>. "By passing this legislation, we are allowing child sex abuse victims to hold their abusers accountable as well as helping them heal. It's now time for the Senate to help ensure justice is always served and join us in passing this crucial legislation."</div>
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<div style="text-align:left" align="left"><a shape="rect">[1]</a> rainn.org/statistics/children-and-teens</div>
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<div><a shape="rect">[2]</a> Ibid.</div>
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<div>Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte represents the 42nd Assembly District in the New York State Assembly representing Brooklyn communities of Ditmas Park, Flatbush, East Flatbush and Midwood. She is currently the <strong>Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs)</strong>, and serves on the following committees: <strong>Housing, Government Operations, Economic Development, Small Businesses, Banks and Social Services</strong>. She is also the <strong>Vice Chair of the NYS Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, and Governor Cuomo's Domestic Violence Advisory Council. </strong></div>
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<div>As the current Assemblymember and District Leader, Rodneyse Bichotte has been outspoken advocate on issues concerning immigration, unemployment, education reform, health care access, senior citizen centers, affordable housing, women's and LGBTQ rights, as well as other issues affecting the quality of life in the community.</div>
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<div style="text-align:center" align="center"><strong>Learn more about </strong></div>
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<div><strong>Rodneyse Bichotte by visiting her website at <a style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Ry0jUlrJc7oIl4bMyPhC2MuWpPgeXZmceXCiJIhogw83G1oOUPzDBZpXoCpr7bHz2ZacZjVgai1xFXMUmNtmnLYuiv-59eUaJn8G4DGBsIJRefLLFpOJ4LhEd7DdzJlN_dPtoZAU5kfGooL7o4ScAZUKJC0xmTQeVupYxxfT5lgSX5NUUIq1aX7XzgjL-o-K59OXqZcgkDnY1PKkQ3UkacEyT2-0Cz3wpY7OPiM_v-dUcKLaNbC2_vksK0jgWtldwu_JhJ9U9KIkPlQ3cRVbl0TnBX2gwbWrzLbUCZFZ_D9pbuUkZdG2De-b4xyLiNhq&c=Tn-Xojv6YQ6hvn-ntsY2dkob2KZEa6Re4u9EODPgv5EYH8qi2FbAXA==&ch=rti4Z6rd73kx9Bv6XTGfdVDl6esFiBqCileZ3tiVJiitSavjZ9XyTA==">www.rodneysebichotte.com</a> or <a style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Ry0jUlrJc7oIl4bMyPhC2MuWpPgeXZmceXCiJIhogw83G1oOUPzDBR6G5egQDNLUlKTvcmsUf3fPovzIBn71vq_hFjW-6HNd5Avh3ppkbz88ZQx9RlMFpZQUW-YvPpcO4zY5Nws1Z-z8NTmTnhQhQLnq7RKE7dpM4BzO3dKXikAxLo3R2pVN-q7aNqtRiVAVP7qdKcFzKZDYR1pwDNF_1J99g9qyuCAwd68LxsA3zxSxex1zyPgk2hzv6-kXxJgykbL0AfQFic6lc6pNO34O00tDOsu_trRt4ZNqHQ88VEV2x2X1eal20hyuJ3Hvc2sc-oGwaNRrbvxz2pMFYY2BQYTzNkxvSgMP&c=Tn-Xojv6YQ6hvn-ntsY2dkob2KZEa6Re4u9EODPgv5EYH8qi2FbAXA==&ch=rti4Z6rd73kx9Bv6XTGfdVDl6esFiBqCileZ3tiVJiitSavjZ9XyTA==">http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Rodneyse-Bichotte </a></strong></div>
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