HEADS UP????? Can you please make a phone call to your Congressperson to help women who have been raped? Dear Representative ___________________ I am writing to request that you cosponsor H.R. 2772, The Rape Survivor Child Custody Act, sponsored by Representative Debbie Wasserman- Schultz. As your constituent, I would ask that you review H.R. 2772 and sign on as a cosponsor. Please let me know what you decide. The consequences of rape are always shattering for victims who struggle to cope with the inevitable mental, physical and emotional reactions to such a violation. Each year, an estimated 25,000-32,000 women in the United States become pregnant as a result of rape. In many states, women who carry those pregnancies to term are at risk of having the rapist claim custody and/or request visitation hindering a victims ability to make decisions about the future of her child (a rapist could stop an adoption) or to raise her child in safety and peace. It makes sense to most of us that a rapist would have no legal parental rights to the child. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. For many women across the country in this situation, the rapist could, indeed, gain parental rights. That risk is heightened for women receiving public assistance benefits. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has been working hard to prevent such a travesty and has proposed legislation to ensure that women who give birth to children as a result of rape are equally supported, empowered, and encouraged in their efforts to decide what is best for their child and to raise their children without being legally tethered to the rapist for decades. This bipartisan legislation encourages states to pass laws that allow women to petition for the termination of parental rights based on clear and convincing evidence that a child was conceived through rape. Thank you We are working on this at the state level, but need your support now at the federal level. Ive put a copy of the legislation below, and will add the frequently asked questions in the comment below. Please help us? Currently across the US, in many states if a woman is raped and bears a child as a result of that rape, her rapist can sue for custody and/or visitation. Thats just wrong, isnt it! You’ve heard about a young woman here in Massachusetts who was raped, became pregnant, gave birth and is being sued by her rapist for visitation rights? We now are going to start at the federal level in hopes of encouraging state level action. This is a complicated issue and I’ve added in a lot of background information, but if you have any questions, please message us at Progressive Women of Massachusetts. The 46 cosponsors are here: https://govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr2772 I called Representative Bill Keating’s office yesterday and left my message. Heres how to find your Representative. house.gov/representatives/find/ If you are able to reach him or her, please let me know so that we can tally the calls she or he’s received. Thanks!
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 20:39:03 +0000
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