[Press Release from State Rep. Ellen Cohen (D-Houston)
(Austin) - Rep. Ellen Cohen urged lawmakers to put aside politics and work toward meaningful measures designed to combat sexual assault. “Talking tough on crime is easy,” said Cohen, “but providing resources to local and state agencies should be our focus.”
Recently, measures have been proposed to address changes in statutes dealing with the perpetrators of sexual assaults. This view fails to take into account programs for victim survivors. “How can we say we are addressing sexual assault when we are leaving out the need and concerns of victim survivors? I would argue that we are not addressing the issue, and together we can change that.”
Rep. Cohen has served as President and CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center since 1990. She oversees one of the largest shelters for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the nation.
Specifically, Rep. Cohen is urges the following recommendations:
•   Careful consideration of additional penalties for perpetrators of sexual assault crimes. The unintended consequence of well meaning legislation could tie the hands of prosecutors and lead to more unreported crimes.
•   Advocate for measures designed to help prosecutors, such as HB 204, that would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assaults crimes, currently set at 10 years.
•   Funding programs with the Adult Entertainment Fee would provide support for sexual assault prevention programs. This addresses the victim survivor side of the sexual assault equation.
“Texas has the opportunity to craft a comprehensive Jessica’s Law that moves us toward the goal of ending sexual assault,” Cohen said. “I hope to be part of this process and thank my colleagues for their focus on helping to solve this issue.”
Posted by Vince Leibowitz
in Texas House
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