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WMUR April 29, 2022 Two bills passed by the New Hampshire Senate this month aim to help victims of human trafficking.
Currently, the state's human trafficking statute allows victims to get certain convictions brought against them vacated. One of the bills would take that a step further. "And protects human trafficking victims from being prosecuted for something that they really had no choice," said Pamela Keilig, of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The other bill allows victims of human trafficking or sexual abuse to submit claims to the state's victim's compensation program at any time. Current state law has a two-year window. "It's important that this program responds in a way that best meets victims' needs as they seek assistance from the state, so it codifies in law that they can receive claims from human trafficking victims," Keilig said. Bill requiring personal finance, sexual violence prevention instruction in public schools advances4/26/2022
New Hampshire Bulletin April 26, 2022 A bill to require personal finance literacy and sexual violence prevention instruction in New Hampshire schools is closer to becoming law after passing the Senate unanimously last week.
The bill would also mandate that schools include instruction in “prevention of sexual violence” – a move praised by the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The bill replaces an earlier effort this session to include that instruction in a separate bill – House Bill 1533 – which was unanimously killed by the House in March. “Sexual violation prevention education has an immediate effect on families,” said Pamela Keilig, the public policy specialist for the coalition, at a Senate hearing earlier this month. “Students learn about healthy relationships and unhealthy behaviors, such as grooming, through this curriculum.” Seacoast Online April 21, 2022 A former New Hampshire teacher of the year finalist is facing felony charges, accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student last year in what is the first criminal case brought under a new state law.
The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence supported the bill. Pamela Keilig, the coalition’s policy specialist, said the law sends a “clear message that it is never appropriate for a teacher to engage in sexual contact with a student.” “This legislation was critical in advancing protections for survivors in our state and ensures that all students in a primary or secondary educational setting are protected, even if they have turned 18,” Keilig said. “Youth have the right to learn in a safe environment and should never fear being exploited by adults who are in a position of trust and authority over them.” New Hampshire Bulletin April 15, 2022 The New Hampshire Senate passed two bills protecting victims of human trafficking on Thursday. Both received bipartisan support and passed on the consent calendar without discussion.
The state’s current human trafficking statute is often used to provide this kind of protection to victims of human trafficking, according to Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “This bill continues this legacy by striking the right balance between making sure human trafficking cases can be effectively prosecuted, while also recognizing the complex and nuanced reality experienced by human trafficking victims,” Schollett told lawmakers during a public hearing on the bill. NH Patch April 15, 2022 A teacher from Amherst, indicted in Rockingham County, is the first to face sexual assault charges due to changes to New Hampshire law to ensure teachers, psychologists, and others with authority do not have sex with students.
Amanda Grady Sexton, the director of public affairs for the NH Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, said the Legislature saw the need to approve the changes because “it’s never appropriate for a teacher to engage in sexual contact with a student.” She said these types of relationships were inherently abusive because teachers hold power over students. “Our K-12 educators are in a position of trust and authority over students — they are not peers regardless of the age of the student,” she said. “The power teachers hold creates a situation where students cannot truly consent to any type of romantic or sexual relationship.” WMUR April 11, 2022 Gov. Chris Sununu signed an executive order Monday to bring back the commission on preventing domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
"The group assembled by this commission really is the right group of stakeholders not only to be improving New Hampshire’s statewide response to abuse, but just as important to focus on critical state-wide prevention efforts,” said Pamela Keilig, of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Keilig said response and prevention will require resources, which she hopes the state is serious about providing. “I think this is a really important step that we are taking as a state,” Keilig said. Union Leader April 7, 2022 The lead lawyer for nearly 500 victims of alleged sexual and physical abuse at the Youth Development Center said he would recommend his clients refuse to bring their claims to an independent administrator rather than sue for damages unless lawmakers make significant changes to a House-passed bill.
The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence sought another change — an expansion of the definition of sexual abuse to include incidents in which there was no sexual contact or penetration. “We heard from victims who were subjected to acts of sexual harassment, human trafficking, lewdness and indecent exposure,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, the director of public affairs for the coalition, in a letter to the committee. “Victims shared with us that employees of YDC/Sununu Center would expose their genitals in front of them and threaten sexual abuse.” Grady Sexton wrote that other victims said they were often forced to shower with other children for the sexual gratification of a YDC employee who was watching. Concord Monitor March 8, 2022 In a sweeping set of recommendations released Tuesday, a domestic violence task force suggested creating more user-friendly legal forms and more affordable legal assistance for victims seeking protection from abuse in New Hampshire courts.
“This is a system that was designed to be accessible and usable to victims who do not have a lawyer and do not have an advocate, and what has happened over time is it has become less accessible,” said Lyn Schollett, the executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and a task force member. “We are looking for any change as a result of this task force to make this more accessible for people who may not have an advocate.” InDepthNH March 8, 2022 The report released Tuesday by the Task Force on Domestic Violence Cases in the New Hampshire Judicial Branch finds there are not enough resources in courts for victims of domestic violence, and there’s a lack of judicial accountability for when things go wrong.
Lyn Schollett, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said the fact the Task Force was created at all shows that the judiciary is making some progress. The Task Force brought together members of the public, advocates, attorneys, and judges to examine how the courts deal with domestic violence cases, and what can be done better. Schollett wants to see the judiciary open up more to create better communication between the courts and the public. “I would hope to see improved communication among the judicial branch and other stakeholders,” she said. Associated Press March 8, 2022 Other judiciary-related recommendations that are supported by the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which was represented on the task force, include a review of the current judicial performance review process and a determination of how best to obtain more meaningful data, as well as efforts to explore and address implicit gender bias against survivors in domestic violence cases.
“We were grateful for the opportunity to work with stakeholders to create a roadmap in this report for improved accountability and transparency in domestic violence cases,” Lyn Schollett, the coalition's executive director, said in a statement. |
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