A first-year Rutgers student was sexually assaulted by two former football players amid a “sexually hostile” environment at Rutgers University. An investigation has been commenced by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office after being alerted by the victim’s attorney, Jeffrey P. Fritz of Soloff & Zervanos, P.C. The lawsuit for the victim, a minor at the […]
New York Archdiocese Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced the establishment of “an independent reconciliation and compensation program” for victims that were sexually abused by members of the clergy. This program will compensate these victims, 170 have already come forward, and is being directed by Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg has run similar compensation programs for victims of the […]
This new law, described as a “bill of rights” for victims of sexual assault, includes new guidelines not limited to : Free sexual assault evidence collection kits for victims Victim notification regarding evidence collection kit results Written notification 60 days before the destruction of the evidence collection kit The right to have the evidence collection kit […]
A child sex-abuse bill that would have allowed victims to bring civil claims against abusers, including the institutions that employed or supervised them during the commission of their sex-abuse crimes, was amended to eliminate the retroactive rights of the abused. This amendment was made after testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by then-Solicitor General Bruce […]
The federal Survivors’ Bill of Rights is groundbreaking legislation that will make reporting sexual assault easier for victims. The bill deals primarily with reporting and the treatment of rape kits. This bill was welcomed by an estimated 25 million rape survivors nationwide and approved unanimously in the House after clearing the Senate. It awaits President Obama’s signature […]
“It’s On Us” is the White House’s outreach campaign to end sexual assault on campuses nationwide. How the efforts of this campaign will be continued by the incoming administration, be it that of Clinton or Trump, remains to be seen, but there have been some indicators on how each of the respective candidates plans to advance […]
Stewart Greenleaf, a Pennsylvania State Senator representing portions of Montgomery and Bucks Counties, disclosed a conflict of interest regarding House Bill 1947. Greenleaf stated that he will no longer be involved in any committee meetings regarding passage of the bill because an attorney at his law firm, Elliott Greenleaf, is currently representing a priest who […]
The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act was passed by a vote of 89 – 0 in the United States Senate on May 23, 2016. This federal bill specifies what rights victims of sexual violence are entitled to. Read more about the passage of this bill, and the 24 year-old survivor that served as bill sponsor Jeanne Shaheen’s […]
Pennsylvania is one step closer to opening the courthouse doors to a generation of victims of child sexual abuse who could not bring a lawsuit in the past due to expiration of the statute of limitations. This week, House Democrat Mark Rozzi sponsored and spearheaded the passage of his amendment to House Bill 1947 in […]
One of the reasons that the movie “Spotlight” has resonated so deeply with the public is that the story is a familiar one. The abuse and cover-ups that took place in the Boston area are strikingly similar to cases that occurred all around the United States, including in Pennsylvania. This week, news outlets discussed a 147-page […]