SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – A series of overdue protections against sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence was approved as part of a broader package of Public Safety legislation by the Minnesota House and Senate early Saturday morning. Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL – Shoreview), an Assistant Hennepin County Attorney, is the chief author of several of these initiatives.
“I’m incredibly proud of the victims, survivors, and advocates who shared their voices and highlighted the numerous ways in which our state must improve the way we handle these heinous, unimaginable actions,” Rep. Moller said. “Minnesotans recognize that those who commit these crimes need to be held accountable and this session we made it a priority to strengthen our laws to ensure they can be.”
One initiative championed by Rep. Moller would create a working group to examine the state’s current criminal sexual conduct statutes. The current law has numerous loopholes and inconsistencies, creating situations in which an assault has occurred but prosecution is extremely difficult. Rep. Moller and advocates have noted an entire re-write of the statutes may be necessary to ensure survivors are able to seek justice. Continue reading “Legislature Approves Rep. Moller’s Initiatives to Curb Gender-Based Violence”