MCASA Helps With Federal Bill to Protect Rape Survivors’ Custody Rights

A bill has been introduced in Congress to help rape survivors maintain full custody over their children. An estimated 5% of rape victims of reproductive age (age 12-45) become pregnant as a result of rape, with the majority of pregnancies in adolescents. The bill was introduced by the bi-partisan team of Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Tom Marino (R-PA) and would allow survivors of rape to terminate the parental rights of the men who raped them.  The Rape Survivor Child Custody Act, HR2772, would provide incentives to states with protective statutes by providing them with additional federal funding under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Only six states currently have laws that afford women comprehensive access to the legal options they need in order to avoid protracted custody and visitation battles with their rapists.   Read the full press release here.