Survivors of sexual abuse, joined by advocates and City Council members, rallied outside City Hall this week to demand immediate action on Intro. 1297, legislation that would strengthen protections for victims of gender-motivated violence.
Survivors Call for Justice After Court Dismissals
The bill responds to a recent court decision that dismissed hundreds of lawsuits, many from survivors abused in city-run juvenile detention centers. Victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network and patients abused by doctors in major medical institutions would also be impacted by the bill.
“We are no longer victims. We are survivors. This is a movement, and we will keep fighting until the end,” said Mary Soto, who had her juvenile detention case dismissed.
Breaking the Silence
Several survivors spoke emotionally about decades of trauma and the struggle of coming forward.
Kendu Starmell, who traveled from South Carolina, emphasized the constitutional right to due process, “Let us have our day in court. Let us have our due process. That’s all we’re asking for.”
Another survivor, Rashawn Jones, recalled being abused by a staff member at Horizon Juvenile Center when he was 16. His case was also thrown out.
“Now that we found our voice, we’re being told it doesn’t count. How is that justice?” Jones asked.
What Intro. 1297 Would Do
At the center of the debate is whether institutions, not just individual abusers, can be held accountable. The bill seeks to clarify the law, reopening a one-year “look-back window” for survivors to file civil lawsuits, similar to New York State’s Adult Survivors Act.
“Survivors who put their trust in our legal system … have now been told they don’t have the right to seek justice against the very institutions that failed them. That’s unacceptable,” said Queens Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, the bill’s lead sponsor.
Pressure Mounts on City Council Leadership
Intro. 1297 has 34 co-sponsors, but City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has not yet scheduled a hearing or vote. A spokesperson for Adams emphasized that the bill, introduced in May, is still undergoing the legislative process.
Council Member Farah Lewis, chair of the Women and Gender Equity Committee, urged immediate action, “We must allow this bill to be heard under my committee immediately and bring Intro. 1297 to a vote because we will not turn our backs on survivors.”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams echoed the urgency, “There has to be accountability for what is happening. We can’t just look at how much it costs and the difficulties of it. We have to look at how do we get it done. That’s the only thing that we should be asking.”
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