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from Political News
California Bill Would Change Laws
Regarding Child Sexual Abuse
A bill on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk deletes mandatory reporting of suspected sexual abuse of children volunteer workers.
September 8, 2004 - SB 1313, sponsored by lesbian activist and State
Senator Sheila Kuehl, is currently awaiting the signature of California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
SB 1313, if signed into law, will revise the state's penal code (1165.7) to
remove the requirement that volunteers who work with children must report
suspected cases of child sexual abuse. This would remove mandatory reporting
requirements from such individuals as pastors, priests, church volunteers,
teachers, school volunteers, and medical personnel.
The original legislation had also lowered the age of sexual consent for children
who engage in sex with other children. However, the provision for age of sexual
consent was removed before final passage.
Attorney Richard Ackerman with The Pro-Life Family Center in California
expressed outrage at passage of SB 1313 and has urged Californians to contact
Gov. Schwarzenegger to ask him to veto SB 1313.
According to Ackerman, "This is a reprehensible act by Sheila Kuehl. The one
common denominator among civilized persons is the ability to rally around the
protection of our children. Even one case of unreported abuse has the potential
to begin a generational cycle of continuing abuse, and could even result in the
death of a child."
Ackerman's comments expressed moral outrage. "No child deserves to be closeted
in the darkness of sexual abuse. SB 1313 guarantees a blind eye to the plight of
thousands of children. If even one child is abused or dies because of the
failure to report by a clinic, church or school, that child's blood is on the
hands of Sheila Kuehl and the people who sneaked behind the media's back to get
this sickly legislation passed."
Updated: 8 February 2008
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