Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE - Sag Harbor) announced that he helped pass a crime victims legislative package that supports victims of human trafficking, broadens the definition of rape to ensure justice for survivors of rape or sexual assault, expands compensation for victims and protects individuals who report crimes.

“Victims of crimes face many challenges, and the trauma they carry – be it physical, emotional or psychological – can take a lifetime to address,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “We must do all that we can to ensure victims are treated with compassion and dignity, as well as have access to the resources they need to move forward with their lives.”

Combating human trafficking

The Assembly legislation improves procedures for identifying trafficked persons, helping to provide safe housing and counseling for victims (A.3223-A). Another measure exempts those convicted of a prostitution offense – or who are identified as victims of trafficking – from having to provide DNA to be included in the state database if the offense was a result of being a victim of human trafficking (A.1030).

The legislation also includes measures mandating that commercial casino gaming employees, as well as hospitality workers, complete training designed to increase their ability to identify possible victims of human trafficking (A.7034-A, A.6834-B).

Supporting victims of rape and sexual assault

In addition, Assemblyman Thiele helped pass a bill to redefine rape by removing the penetration requirement and including in the definition other forms of nonconsensual sexual conduct that are currently recognized by the law only as “criminal sexual acts” (A.4249-A).

“Perpetrators of sexual violence should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, plain and simple,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “This bill updates an outdated criminal statute to ensure these violent sex offenders are taken off the streets and help deliver justice for more victims.”

Ensuring eligibility for compensation

Fear and shame keep many crime victims from seeking police help right away, while others may be too emotionally overwhelmed to do so. The Assembly passed a bill that allows the state Office of Victim Services to accept certain other official documents instead of only police reports to determine compensation eligibility for victims of certain family offenses (A.3936).

Supporting victims and their families

To ensure victims and their families receive the financial support they deserve, the Assembly passed legislation that allows courts to direct all or a portion of anti-trust fines to the Office of Victim Services (A.3555), creating another revenue source to fund its victims’ assistance and victims’ award programs. The legislative package also includes a measure that makes domestic partners of homicide victims eligible for crime victims’ compensation and expands benefits to include out-of-pocket expenses, such as counseling (A.3920).

“This legislation ensures that victims and their families aren’t further victimized by the financial impact of the crime they’ve experienced. It’s critical that we provide expanded support in order to address some of the secondary costs they can face,” said Assemblyman Thiele.

Safeguarding individuals who report crimes

Assemblyman Thiele helped pass a bill that protects the right of crime victims to report criminal acts, including acts of domestic violence, without the fear of losing their housing as the result of landlord actions or local nuisance laws (A.2919). Currently, many municipalities throughout the state have nuisance laws, which can be overly broad and, as a result, dissuade victims from calling the police or reporting crimes. Further, landlords would be protected from any penalties for respecting the rights of tenants to request police or emergency assistance.