Out the Door

Iowa Republicans propose tough sex abuse sentences

Jeff Lamberti, Co-president of the Iowa Senate (He's co-president because the Iowa Senate is equally split 50 Republicans & 50 Democrats) has proposed new sentencing guidelines for those who sexually abuse children.  Under his plan, first time offenders would receive a minimum of 25 years in prison and could be sentenced to life by the judge.

The Des Moines Register reported that Lamberti said, "The message it sends is that the state of Iowa is going to have a zero-tolerance policy for people who prey on young children.  We ought not to be giving these people a second chance to abuse children."

This is exactly what I was saying needed to be done especially after the travesty of justice we've recently seen in Vermont.  The sexual abuse of children has been tolerated for too long.  It has been treated more like a mental illness rather than the horrendous crime it is. 

I hope all Iowans will join me in writing to their state Senators and Representatives and encouraging them to support this new legistation.  Senators; Representatives

Vermont Judge changes sex abusers sentence

Much to my surprise, Judge Cashman has upped Mark Hulett's sentence for repeatedly raping a young girl from 60 days to 3 to 10 years. (Fox News)  I really didn't think he would change his mind.  Perhaps to the 20,000 emails Vermont's governor received from all over the nation protesting the original sentence had something to do with it.  Perhaps Judge Cashman wanted to make a point about the need for therapy for sex abusers in Vermont's prison system and having accomplished that, he revisited his decision.  Whatever caused him to up the sentence, I'm glad it happened.

Still serving 3 years in prison for repeatedly raping a child over a period of 4 years seems like a pretty light sentence to me.  I have no sympathy for child molesters.  I have seen way too often the scars that those who were abused carry throughout their lives.  When will we as a society decide that our children are worthy of our protection and say that those who victimize children should go away for a very long time?