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NHPR July 20, 2020 Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a bill that aims to support sexual assault survivors at colleges and universities. John Gabrieli is the director of the Every Voice Coalition, a student and survivor-led organization that wrote the language in the bill. Sophia Miller is a Dartmouth student organizer who helped bring the Coalition’s work to New Hampshire. They joined NHPR's All Things Considered Host Peter Biello to talk about the bill. Yahoo News -The Patch July 20, 2020 CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire's governor signed two bills into law addressing sexual assault, misconduct, and other related offenses as well as closing a loophole in state law which allowed persons of authority to abuse young people in their care. "The bills signed today represent the most sweeping collective improvements to laws regarding child abuse and domestic and sexual assault in recent history," Grady Sexton said. "This legislation could not be timelier. Expanding vital protections, services, and support, especially amidst this global pandemic, will improve the lives of survivors, who are under incredible pressure and danger due to the fallout of COVID-19." Concord Monitor July 20, 2020 Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Monday to ban sexual contact between school employees and students, which closes the loophole in New Hampshire allowing behavior that was once perceived to be consensual. House Bill 1240 expands the definition of sexual assault to include any sexual contact between school employees and students between the ages 13 and 18. It’s also a crime to engage in such behavior for 10 months after graduation. Previously, sexual contact between a teacher or guidance counselor and a youth aged 16 to 17, while against a professional code of conduct, could be considered consensual and not a crime. Concord Monitor July 18, 2020 “Many of Howie Leung’s behaviors should have led to immediate termination, but like many predators, Howie Leung worked hard to be well-liked and, as a result, the staff at the Concord School District kept giving him breaks and even special treatment,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “Predators want to make sure that if a child accuses them of abuse, their co-workers and the community will quickly come to their defense and say, ‘There is no way he did this, he is such a nice guy.’ ” According to the report, former superintendent Terri Forsten and Sica did not properly investigate sexual misconduct complaints or discipline Leung to ensure student safety. Both resigned this past fall after the school board reviewed an unredacted copy of the report and voted to terminate them. Seacoast Online July 17,2020 The public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence believes there should be an independent investigation into the assault allegations made against a Dover police officer by his wife.
“I think there’s a really strong call, not only in this case but in cases we’ve seen throughout the state, to ensure there are autonomous and independent investigations in cases where there is any alleged misconduct by police,” Amanda Grady Sexton said Friday. Press Release June 23, 2020 “The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the lives of survivors of domestic and sexual violence, including their ability to seek help and meet their basic needs. The pandemic has also provided new ways for abusive partners to leverage power and control, including the withholding of federal stimulus checks,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “We are grateful for the support of Senator Shaheen and other members of Congress for advocating for the needs of survivors, and addressing the very real experiences of financial abuse that prevent survivors from acquiring, using or maintaining financial resources.”
Senate passes bills to prevent child abuse, eliminate statute of limitation in sex assault cases6/18/2020
Concord Monitor June 17, 2020
One of the many bills passed by the State Senate this week requires all school employees to be trained on preventing child sex abuse. Another bill would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault. The pair were included in larger packages of bills related to safety in schools and revisions to the state sexual assault laws. “Numerous senators remarked that they heard from an extraordinary amount of survivors who contacted the senate urging them to pass this critical legislation that will ensure protections for victims of sexual assault,” said Grady Sexton in an interview Wednesday. “We will be working closely with the house to earn their support for these measures.” Concord Monitor May 27, 2020 The coalition’s Director of Public Affairs Amanda Grady Sexton said stay-at-home orders designed to minimize viral transmission have meant that many victims are trapped with their abusers for longer periods of time and have fewer opportunities to seek help. She said the alternative filing method will ensure victims who face even greater barriers due to the pandemic can still take steps to seek safety for themselves and their children.
Concord Monitor May 22. 2020 Linda Douglas, the coalition’s trauma-informed services specialist, said the pandemic has severely limited victims’ access to critical support systems that are an integral part of their healing journey. Support groups for people who’ve experienced domestic violence or substance abuse have been canceled altogether or moved to online formats. Additionally, medical professionals, including therapists, are utilizing telehealth services in an effort to limit in-person contact, but not all victims are comfortable with remote care or can access it, she said.
Seacoast Online May 7, 2020 Janet Carroll, RN, is the clinical coordinator for Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s sexual assault nurse examiner program (SANE). Made up of a group of specially trained nurses, the mission of SANE is to deliver compassionate, comprehensive, ethical, culturally sensitive, expert medical forensic care and treatment to patients who have experienced violence such as sexual assault, intimate partner violence and elder or vulnerable adult abuse. In addition, SANE provides specialized care to victims of several other kinds of traumatic violence such as human trafficking, strangulation, gunshot wounds or stab wounds.
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The 13 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.
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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
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