Assemblyman Brian Curran (Lynbrook-21^st A.D.) announced his support for “Kyra’s Law,” which will protect children from harm and abuse by prohibiting the court from awarding custody of a child or visitation rights to a person who jeopardizes a child's health or safety, enhancing training for judges, and requiring the court to appoint an attorney to represent the child when allegations of serious risk to the child’s safety have been made. The bill is named for Kyra Franchetti, who was murdered by her father during an unsupervised court-ordered visit. Curran argues changes need to be made, especially in light of the startling fact that in New York since 2016, the number of children killed by their parent during a custody or divorce case has risen to 33.

“As legislators, our top priority should be to protect the most vulnerable, I can’t think of anyone more vulnerable than a young child. The facts cannot be understated, the fact that 33 beautiful souls should still be with us today is unacceptable. If we train our judges to notice the signs of potential abuse and harm and then require them to consider the child’s safety when awarding custody or visitation, we can save lives. As a father myself, I know just how precious a child is, that is why I am proud to support Kyra’s Law and will continue to fight for the children of New York and make sure their safety is a priority,” said Curran.