My worst nightmare, as a victim of sexual assault, took an even more dismaying turn when the woman who violated me chose to use the children conceived during the assaults as a weapon to hurt me even further. The current laws allow offenders to claim parental rights, fostering an environment of sustained manipulation and abuse. It’s excruciating to think that the offender enjoys parental rights while our children suffer in such a toxic environment.

This scenario is not a singular phenomenon. Many children conceived from sexual assaults are trapped in circumstances where their abusers assert parental rights, causing immeasurable harm and trauma. A study in 2018 reported an estimated 17,500 pregnancies from rapes in the United States alone, many of which resulted in the birth of a child (Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Purdue University).

 Personally, I was 16 when I was sexually assaulted by an 18 year old adult which resulted in a pregnancy. I was 17 when my child was born to the then 20 year old adult. My child has since been taken by the assailant, concealed, alienated, abused and turned against me all without any legal justification. Mandatory reporters are not enough when they fail so much to make reports, as they did in my situation or even worse, cover it up because they're guilty of a similar crime.

It’s unthinkable that any child should grow up under the care of an individual who caused such traumatic, life-altering harm. And it’s shocking that the victims of sexual assaults have the potential to be further victimized through ongoing, forced contact with their assailants in the context of parenting.

We seek justice and change, appealing for legislation that unequivocally requires parents of children conceived through sexual assault, including and especially statutory rape (if one parent is under the age of 18 and the other is over the age of 18), to relinquish all parental rights and be mandated to provide financial support. It's nearly impossible to heal while constantly reliving the trauma through [en]forced legal interactions with the offender. 

By signing this petition you will show your support for change to mandate that parents who conceive children through sexual assault cannot claim any parental rights while being mandated to offer financial support. Together, through our collective voice, we can enact change and shield victims from further torment.