New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday signed laws to modernize New York State regulation to guard survivors of rape and maintain perpetrators accountable for sexual assault.
Hochul stated the laws, S.3161/A.3340, updates the definition of rape within the penal code “to make sure that further types of nonconsensual, pressured sexual conduct might be prosecuted as rape.”
Since taking workplace, Hochul stated she has signed the Grownup Survivors Act, carried out new protections for survivors of home violence and cracked down on human trafficking.
“We’re reassuring survivors that after they stroll right into a police station or strategy the witness stand that the total weight of the regulation is behind them now going ahead,” Hochul stated. “Rape can be handled just like the horrific crime that it’s. The voices have been heard, and we affirm that justice can be served.”
The governor stated laws (S.3161/A.3340), often known as the “Rape is Rape” invoice, removes the penetration requirement from the rape statutes and in addition defines rape as vaginal sexual contact, oral sexual contact and anal sexual contact.
She famous that the present statue excluded oral and anal rape from being known as rape and required the next customary for vaginal rape.
“By modernizing New York’s rape statutes, this laws ensures all survivors are protected against these crimes and offenders can be held totally accountable,” Hochul stated.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal stated, “Rape is Rape, plain and easy. In New York State. we can not permit outdated, heteronormative notions of intercourse to restrict our capability to acknowledge that truth and to carry those that commit acts of sexual violence accountable.
“I applaud Gov. Hochul for signing our invoice (S8008), and now our chapter amendments, to increase the definition of rape to incorporate not solely vaginal penetration, but additionally acts of oral, anal, and vaginal contact,” he stated. “This replace to the regulation will make it simpler to carry perpetrators of intercourse crimes accountable and can be notably vital in serving to to guard members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, who’re victims of rape and sexual assault at greater charges than cis-gendered heterosexual Individuals.
“Thanks to Assemblymember Cruz for preventing for this modification within the Meeting and thanks to Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins for making this invoice a precedence within the Senate,” he added. “I additionally need to prolong my honest gratitude to Lydia Cuomo, the courageous survivor, whose activism, and perseverance, spurred this a lot wanted change.”
Assemblymember Catalina Cruz stated, “Right now Rape is Rape turns into regulation, sending a message to survivors that what they endured was rape, and it deserves to be acknowledged as such. This profound shift acknowledges the total spectrum of ache of survivors endure.
“I’m deeply grateful to Lydia Cuomo for her bravery on behalf of survivors,” she stated. “She endured a horrific rape that sparked the battle to vary our legal guidelines. I might additionally prefer to thank my colleagues within the Meeting, particularly the unique sponsor – former Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas who refused to face by within the face of the injustice Lydia confronted.
“I need to thank Speaker Carl Heastie for championing and passing this laws 12 months after 12 months, in addition to the sponsor within the Senate, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, for his tireless dedication that lastly obtained the invoice by means of the Senate,” she added. “Lastly, I need to thank Gov. Hochul for signing it into regulation in order that survivors of rape can lastly all be seen.”
Advocate Lydia Cuomo stated, “It has been 15 years from the second I used to be brutally raped and the regulation failed me.
“The definition of rape refused to acknowledge what occurred to me as such and allowed my assailant to stroll away with merely a sexual assault conviction through the trial,” she stated. “Over time, as I noticed the passing of the ‘Rape is Rape’ Act 11 occasions within the Meeting however fail to grow to be regulation, I felt hopeless.
“However now, due to the work of Aravella Simotas, who began this laws and fought for this regulation for over a decade and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, who carried it to the end line, and Gov. Kathy Hochul for signing it into regulation,” she added. “This laws is an indication that the voices of survivors matter right here in New York. That our ache will not be ignored due to an antiquated regulation and that we are able to lastly search the justice we deserve.”
Since taking workplace, Hochul stated she has prioritized supporting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable.
She signed the Grownup Survivors Act in 2022, opening a one-year window throughout which survivors might deliver swimsuit towards their abusers.
Hochul stated she has additionally signed laws to determine a statewide rape equipment monitoring system, strengthen protections and assist for survivors of home violence, and crack down on human trafficking.
As well as, the governor has enacted new legal guidelines that increase revenge porn legal guidelines to incorporate “deep faked” pictures, crack down on sexual conduct towards kids, and increase the definition of illegal coercion to incorporate forcing a person to share intimate pictures below risk of bodily or emotional hurt.
Final 12 months, Hochul introduced new steering for regulation enforcement companies when responding to home incidents.
She has additionally introduced the provision of a streamlined software for people in search of assist from the state with crime-related bills.
Moreover, Hochul has taken important steps to guard people within the workforce from harassment and sexual assault.
She launched a statewide office sexual harassment hotline, signed new legal guidelines to guard staff from sexual misconduct within the office, and developed a sexual harassment mannequin coverage for employers to make use of.
