Two Photos of Girls at Bedford Have Been Shared with Administration, School Officials Said9/26/2023
Emily Provencher, of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said there are some things parents should keep in mind.
"Students across the school, whether it was their photos or not, are going to feel the impact of the situation," Provencher said. "It is really important to make them aware of the 24/7 helpline that is available in the state of New Hampshire. That is not just for the victims in this situation, but also for the people who care about them." September 23, 2023 WMUR Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the N.H. Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence said Tuesday such crimes are more prevalent than many people realize.
“Children are being exposed to pornography at much younger ages now and maybe don’t have the same framework for what is appropriate in a relationship and also they are taking riskier and riskier actions in terms of their behaviors,” she said. Also, the proliferation of smart phones makes it is easier than ever to record people without their permission, she said. “People are selling these images,” Sexton said. “There is an increased demand for these kinds of voyeuristic videos, and there is new technology and enhanced capability to capture people in places where they have an expectation of privacy.” August 8, 2023 Keene Sentinel The state also said it has an interest in protecting victims of Covington's crime and in ensuring that anyone who might want to be in a relationship with him in the future has access to accurate information about him, something victim advocates agree with.
"Erasing an offender's name in essence erases a part of history and takes away an important piece of safety planning for victims and for communities," Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said. "The idea that a murderer can be granted a clean slate simply because they are ready to move on does not erase the impact of these horrific crimes." August 3, 2023 WMUR Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said allowing a convicted murderer to change their name makes it harder for the public to make thoughtful decisions about who they invite into their homes and lives.
“When a violent offender changes their name, both victims and communities face an added barrier to being informed about the offender’s whereabouts,” she said. “This experience is stressful to victims and dangerous for communities.” Being aware of an individual’s past offenses is particularly important in cases involving domestic and sexual violence, since such behavior often follows a pattern, she said. “Domestic violence escalates over time. It’s also the most lethal crime in New Hampshire,” she said. “Most sexual offenders also have multiple victims.” August 2, 2023 Boston Globe Sexual assault and emotional, physical or financial abuse — the most common crimes against new arrivals to the U.S. — are typically underreported and invisible, according to lawyers who represent the victims.
For those brought to the U.S. by a citizen-spouse, a one-way trip to America can translate to long-term vulnerability. Scared, alone, with a limited ability to speak English or seek outside help, recent immigrants can feel trapped in situations of abuse. “Immigrant women face a heightened risk of domestic violence. Abusers frequently exploit their partner’s immigration status and use the threat of deportation or arrest as a means of ongoing control,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (NHCADSV). July 31, 2023 Union Leader The director of affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Amanda Grady Sexton, appeared surprised by the verdict and hoped other jurisdictions would become involved in pursuing more charges.
“There must be accountability for those who use their position of authority to sexually exploit children in their care,” she said. “Sadly, today, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts failed to truly hold Howie Leung responsible for his horrific crimes. However, we know that it’s still possible for other jurisdictions to seek legal justice for the children Leung harmed.” Grady Sexton applauded “the tremendous strength of the young survivor in this case and knows that her courage will help other victims to disclose sexual abuse and to begin the healing process.” She said perpetrators would “no longer be able to rely on a culture of silence when we ensure that children are educated about sexual abuse and believed when they speak out.” July 19, 2023 Concord Patch “The court’s decision will be incredibly impactful because they affirmed that safety is a compelling public interest,” said Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.
“While most speech is protected, not all speech is protected,” Schollett added. “One form of speech that is not protected is true threats.” The coalition is planning to use the latest precedent to spread awareness of the protection options available to victims when it comes to online offenses, Schollett said. July 17, 2023 NH Bulletin Advocates for survivors of domestic violence and abuse are applauding the New Hampshire Supreme Court after a unanimous decision Thursday ceded no ground to a man accused of targeting a woman with violent and sexual images and messages online.
Lyn Schollett, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Sexual Violence, which filed an amicus brief in the case, said she was glad to see the court decide this case on the merits. “I think the most important message from this opinion is to offenders, which is that you cannot terrorize people and simply call it free speech,” she said. Schollett said the stalking in this case was perpetrated entirely online, but it had the same effect as in-person stalking, which is to subject a victim to an ongoing state of terror. “The power of stalking is that it keeps the victim in a perpetual state of fear and hypervigilance, and the Supreme Court recognized the necessity of protecting victims from further abuse in this case by deciding that it’s a compelling state interest,” she said. “We hope that this case means that in future cases the court will look carefully at online stalking and recognize the very real threat that it is,” she added. June 30, 2023 Boston Globe In a statement, Lyn Schollett, executive director of the Coalition, said images of a person being violently attacked do not deserve legal protection.
"The New Hampshire Supreme Court made a strong statement today by holding that protecting victims from abuse is a compelling state interest. We couldn’t agree more," Schollett said. June 29, 2023 Union Leader The state looks to the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to assist victims, from running a 24-hour crisis line to providing emergency shelter. It’s also a partner in helping survivors of abuse avoid homelessness.
Housing can be especially hard to find for survivors whose abuser has limited their access to money for rent or caused them to have poor credit scores. The Executive Council approved a request from the Department of Health and Human Services Wednesday to continue a project that helps survivors not only find housing and pay rent but also learn to manage money. "That’s a significant need because the vast majority of survivors who come to the Coalition for help have been a victim of economic abuse in addition to physical or sexual abuse," said Rachel Duffy, housing and economic justice manager for the Coalition. "They have little experience with finances because their abusers denied them access to bank accounts," she said. "And, they have low credit scores because their abusers put their names on credit cards and failed to pay them. Or, abusers default on utility bills that bear both their names." June 19, 2023 New Hampshire Bulletin |
Archives
September 2023
Categories |
RSS Feed
Our Supporting Partners
The 12 member programs of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provide services regardless of gender,age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental or emotional ability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socio-economic status, race, national origin, immigration status or religious or political affiliation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funding for this website was provided by The Corporate Fund.
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
PO Box 353, Concord, NH 03302-0353
(603) 224-8893
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
PO Box 353, Concord, NH 03302-0353
(603) 224-8893
NH web design by Harbour Light Strategic Marketing