The State of North Carolina has passed a law that empowers a judge to issue a permanent no contact order against a convicted sex offender. See NC Session Law 2009-380. Let’s all do a happy dance!!
What I find pathetic is that this has not been the law up until this point. As someone who has a sexual abuser continuing to try to maintain contact with me (my mother), I understand the need for this law. Just hearing her voice on the answering machine or receiving a letter from her triggers me and sends me into an emotional nosedive. In my case, my mother is not passing along threats, but many sexual abuse survivors do. Now some sexual abuse survivors will have a way to protect themselves from this harassment permanently.
Of course, my mother does not live in NC, nor is she is a convicted sex offender, so this law will not take care of my situation. However, in the cases of sexual abuse survivors who choose to prosecute their abusers and get a conviction, they now have the ability to have a permanent no contact order (a restraining order) put into place. I am so glad to see that lawmakers are paying attention to the need for this protection for sexual abuse survivors.
Photo credit: Lynda Bernhardt
This tells me that at least some of our legislatures are educated on this very difficult subject.
yeah, a happy dance is in order!
barbi
~H~A~P~P~Y~D~A~N~C~E~
as someone from NC this gives me great hope my abuser/step-father is in prision in NC (thanks to my help) on other sexual offiences, I was told I can press charges against him when he is realeased (waiting so his time in prision is increased) NC is making big steps to help victims and they should we have some of the highest rates of offences…