Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org

 

 

 

 

LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky House of Representatives emphasized their commitment to prioritizing survivors of child abuse with today’s passage of House Bill 472, sponsored by Representative Lynn Bechler.

“With around one-third of all child sexual assault victims being under the age of 12, many children lack the capacity to understand what has happened to them and articulate it. By empowering survivors of childhood sexual abuse through HB 472, their voice will be heard and their perpetrator can be held accountable,” said Keith Inman, president of Kosair Charities, which founded and supports the Face It Movement.

HB 472 seeks to extend the statute of limitations for misdemeanor sex offenses involving minors from five years after their eighteenth birthday to 10 years after their eighteenth birthday.

“We know there are numerous, complex reasons that some children don’t disclose their abuse right away; HB 472 strengthens the statute of limitations to accommodate for those incidences of delayed disclosure. We now call on the Kentucky Senate to support passage of HB 472 to support survivors of childhood sexual abuse,” said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Kosair Charities Face It Movement thank Representative Bechler for championing this measure and the Kentucky House for supporting its passage today.

Stay up-to-date on Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priorities and other bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.

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About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at www.kyyouth.org.

About the Face It® Movement
The Face It® Movement launched in 2013 as an initiative led by Kosair Charities® in response to the number of child abuse deaths in the Commonwealth. Face It focuses on a three-pronged approach to addressing child abuse and neglect: promote best practices in child abuse prevention and intervention, build awareness and engage the community, and advocate for effective policies to improve the child welfare system. Learn more at faceitmovement.org.

About Kosair Charities® 
Kosair Charities enhances the health and well-being of children by delivering financial support for healthcare, research, education, social services, and child advocacy. We envision a world in which children in need live life to the fullest. For more information, please visit kosair.org.