New York State Legislators Let Child Molesters off the Hook

Sexual abuse of minors is far more widespread than most people realize. Estimates of adults who were molested as minors range in the millions.

While there are many factors contributing to this state of affairs, one key factor seems to be a deficiency in state law regarding the reporting of sexual abuse of minors. New York is a perfect example of a state with poor reporting requirements.

Today, for example, state law requires certain groups of professionals who routinely deal with children, known as “required reporters,” to report sexual abuse of minors,

If the abuse is committed by anyone else, there is, incredibly, no legal requirement to report it. This means, of course, the perpetrator will remain free to abuse again and again, which is exactly what happens.

What this all amounts to is that most sexual abuse of minors today is

What is even more interesting, however, is what is happening now in New York state as a result of the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. A number of state legislators, and even some at the county level, last year proposed legislation to add clergy to the list of mandated reporters.

While everyone supports this change, it occurred to other legislators that this only dealt with a tiny part of the problem – perhaps 1 percent. The major part of the cover-up problem – the abuse by non-parents – was still being overlooked. So it was suggested by some legislators that we require that these required reporters report child sexual abuse by

And this is when, believe it or not, the controversy began. It seems that certain groups, such as the New York Civil Liberties Union and Family Planning Advocates, representing groups like Planned Parenthood, objected to broadening the reporting of abuse because they didn’t want to have to report statutory rape.

In New York it is first-degree rape if an adult male has sex with a girl 12 or under; if the girl is 13 or 14, it is second-degree rape; and if the girl is 15 or 16 and the male is 21 or older, it is third-degree rape. All are felony crimes.

The reason some groups oppose the required reporting of statutory rape is that they worry this might “deter some underage girls from seeking reproductive care” for fear of criminal reprisals against their adult “boyfriends,” who are guilty of statutory rape.

On the other side of this issue is the legitimate concern of parents and society to stop these sexual predators from preying on other young girls, as they so often do. Recently, the New York State Assembly passed a bill that requires the reporting of sexual abuse committed by members of the required reporting groups (i.e., doctors, teachers, day care workers, clergy, etc.).

The New York State Senate passed a slightly different bill requiring the reporting of sexual abuse of minors by “anyone in a position of trust.” This would include a slightly larger universe of abusers than the Assembly bill.

Both political parties seem unwilling to face up to those who are intent upon protecting the “privacy rights” of 13-year-old girls who are having sex with older men, typically without the knowledge of the girls’ parents.

The legislators seem more concerned about protecting this “privacy right” than they are about protecting the thousands of future child victims from the trauma felt into, and beyond, adulthood which these predators inflict upon them, and indirectly upon the children’s parents as well.

One reason the legislature may get away with this is that practically no one is aware of what is happening. Most Democrats want to keep the issue quiet, while most Republicans seem uneasy tackling issues with any moral dimension.

The unfortunate result is that the law in New York, and undoubtedly other states as well, will continue the cover-up of thousands of cases of statutory rape and sexual abuse of minors by neighbors, acquaintances and Internet “friends” to the detriment of future child victims and their parents.