End the Silence. Reform Indiana’s Juvenile Victim Laws.
End the Silence. Reform Indiana’s Juvenile Victim Laws.
The Issue
When my daughter became a victim, I assumed the system would protect her.
I assumed I, as her mother, would be informed — that I’d know what was happening, what decisions were being made, and how her case was progressing.
Instead, I was told “You’re not allowed to know.”
Not allowed to see the documents.
Not allowed to receive updates.
Not allowed to be informed about decisions that would deeply affect my child’s healing and our family’s future.
I stood in the clerk’s office, shaking, as I was told that because my daughter is a juvenile victim, I have no right to her case information.
Confidentiality — a law meant to protect children — was used to silence us.
And we are not the only family.
Across Indiana, parents of victims are being denied updates, case outcomes, or even basic communication. Families are left anxiously refreshing inboxes, calling offices, begging for clarity — only to be ignored or told “we can’t share anything.”
This isn’t privacy. This is punishment by silence.
The reality:
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18.
85% of victims never report it.
And for those who do report — many are met with a legal wall they cannot climb. Indiana law says victims must be treated with dignity and kept informed, but when the victim is a child, those rights suddenly become vague and unenforced.
Victims are left without answers.
Parents are left without voice.
Families are left without closure.
This petition is not just words on a screen. It’s a mother fighting for her daughter. It’s every parent who refuses to accept silence in return for their pain.
We are calling on Indiana lawmakers to amend Indiana Code §31-39 and §35-40 to:
Guarantee parents and guardians of juvenile victims limited access to case updates and outcomes.
Require consistent, timely communication from prosecutors and advocates.
Prevent the misuse of “confidentiality” to deny victims and families their basic rights.
No parent should have to fight harder for information than their child did for justice.
Silence does not protect children.
Transparency does.
It’s time for Indiana to choose compassion, accountability, and healing over secrecy.
If you believe victims and their families deserve a voice, please sign and share this petition. Because no mother should be told she has no right to know what is happening to her own child.
264
The Issue
When my daughter became a victim, I assumed the system would protect her.
I assumed I, as her mother, would be informed — that I’d know what was happening, what decisions were being made, and how her case was progressing.
Instead, I was told “You’re not allowed to know.”
Not allowed to see the documents.
Not allowed to receive updates.
Not allowed to be informed about decisions that would deeply affect my child’s healing and our family’s future.
I stood in the clerk’s office, shaking, as I was told that because my daughter is a juvenile victim, I have no right to her case information.
Confidentiality — a law meant to protect children — was used to silence us.
And we are not the only family.
Across Indiana, parents of victims are being denied updates, case outcomes, or even basic communication. Families are left anxiously refreshing inboxes, calling offices, begging for clarity — only to be ignored or told “we can’t share anything.”
This isn’t privacy. This is punishment by silence.
The reality:
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18.
85% of victims never report it.
And for those who do report — many are met with a legal wall they cannot climb. Indiana law says victims must be treated with dignity and kept informed, but when the victim is a child, those rights suddenly become vague and unenforced.
Victims are left without answers.
Parents are left without voice.
Families are left without closure.
This petition is not just words on a screen. It’s a mother fighting for her daughter. It’s every parent who refuses to accept silence in return for their pain.
We are calling on Indiana lawmakers to amend Indiana Code §31-39 and §35-40 to:
Guarantee parents and guardians of juvenile victims limited access to case updates and outcomes.
Require consistent, timely communication from prosecutors and advocates.
Prevent the misuse of “confidentiality” to deny victims and families their basic rights.
No parent should have to fight harder for information than their child did for justice.
Silence does not protect children.
Transparency does.
It’s time for Indiana to choose compassion, accountability, and healing over secrecy.
If you believe victims and their families deserve a voice, please sign and share this petition. Because no mother should be told she has no right to know what is happening to her own child.
264
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on October 8, 2025