Taking a stand against sex violence in NY
Queens lawmaker’s bill closes loophole that allowed disgraced AG to avoid prosecution
BY BILL PARRY
Astoria Assemblywoman
Aravella Simotas introduced
legislation to strengthen
protections against sexually
motivated violence.
Simotas announced
the measure Monday that
would correct a deficit in
the law that Nassau District
Attorney Madeline Singas
identified during her
investigation into abuse
allegations against former
state Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman.
The Simotas bill, known
as A.7082, would combat
intimate partner violence
by ensuring abusers can
be held accountable for
physical violence committed
for the purpose of sexual
arousal or gratification
where the conduct doesn’t
cause injury or the injuries
do not rise to the legal
definition of physical injury.
The limitations in current
state law fail to recognize
the lasting emotional and
psychological harm these
acts can cause.
“I want to thank District
Attorney Singas for bringing
this loophole in the law to
my attention,” Simotas said.
“This legislation is a way to
protect survivors of intimate
partner violence by holding
the abusers accountable. It
is shocking that New York
District Attorneys do not
have the legal means to
bring justice to survivors
of violence committed for
sexual gratification unless
the violence rises to extreme
levels. When a survivor has
the courage to come forward
and report this type of abuse,
it is unconscionable that the
perpetrator would be able to
evade all consequences for
their actions.”
Schneiderman resigned
in disgrace in May 2018
after he was accused of
physically abusing four
former girlfriends. Cuomo
appointed Singas as special
prosecutor to review
the allegations and she
announced he would not
face criminal charges due
to “legal impediments”
including statutes of
limitations.
“Victims of intimate
partner violence deserve
stronger legal protections,
and I’m grateful to
Assemblmember Simotas
for carrying this important
legislation,” Singas
said. “This legalization
criminalizes nonconsensual
violence that is
inadequately addressed by
existing law.”
The Simotas bill would
create a new protection
against non-consensual
violence, defined thus: “A
person is guilty of sexual
harassment when, with
the purpose of sexual
arousal or gratification,
and without consent, he or
she slaps, strikes, shoves or
kicks another person.” The
offense would have a twoyear
statute of limitations.
“The law as it currently
stands is not providing
the legal protections
victims of intimate partner
violence need,” National
Organization for Women
New York President Sonia
Ossorio said. “It shocks the
conscience. This new statute
would make non-consensual
slapping and hitting for
sexual gratification a
crime. It’s a straightforward
proposal everyone should be
able to get behind.”
Simotas has been the
prime sponsor of several new
laws to protect and enhance
the rights of sexual assault
survivors. These include
ending the rape kit backlog,
outlawing the premature
disposal of forensic evidence
kits and creating a sexual
assault survivors bill of
rights which would let crime
victims know that they can
be accompanied by a trained
counselor during a forensic
exam and that they are
entitled to free appropriate
health care services
including the forensic exam,
among other rights.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
Elmhurst Hospital tops for babies
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s “Baby-Friendly” team of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare
providers.
BY MAX PARROTT
Elmhurst Hospital won
recognition for its infant
care program on Friday.
The World Health
Organization (WHO) and the
United Nations Children’s
Fund awarded NYC Health
+ Hospitals/Elmhurst
baby-friendly status, a
designation conferred by
the WHO’s initiative to
encourage breastfeeding,
regulations on breast milk
substitute and early motherinfant
bonding.
“This designation is an
attestation to the exemplary
level of care we provide to
our patients in Maternal
Child Health. The practices
are evidence based, which
will lead to improved
outcomes for our mothers
and babies,” said Dr.
Jennifer Pintiliano, the NYC
Health + Hospitals associate
director of pediatrics.
In 2018, 2,327 babies
were born at the hospital.
Of the babies born in its
new mother/baby unit last
year, approximately 96
percent initiated
breastfeeding immediately
following delivery.
The unit also features 15
private rooms for infants
to room in, allowing for
a bonding opportunity
between mother and child.
The designation means
that the hospital’s maternity
unit complies with
UNICEF’s global program
to encourage successful
breastfeeding techniques
and the International Code
of Marketing of Breast-
Milk Substitutes. Currently
there are 561 hospitals and
birth centers that hold this
designation in the U.S.
UNICEF’s baby-friendly
program maintains that
human milk fed through
direct breastfeeding is
the best way for infants
to be nourished. The
breastfeeding program
promotes a hospitalwide
breastfeeding
policy, training for staff,
encouragement for mothers
to initiate breastfeeding
within one hour of birth
and the infrastructure to
allow mothers and infants
to remain together 24 hours
a day.
The program also
enforces the International
Code of Marketing of Breast-
Milk Substitutes, which
prevents hospitals from
advertising baby formula
or accepting free or low-cost
infant formula.
“I could not be prouder
of NYC Health and Hospital
Elmhurst and applaud this
wonderful achievement,”
Assemblywoman Catalina
Cruz said. “Our district
and it’s residents deserve
quality medical care, and
NYC Health and Hospitals
Elmhurst is here to deliver
(literally!).”
The hospital will have
a chance to earn a redesignation
of this award
after a rigorous on-site
survey is completed after
five years.
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas introduces a bill that would
make non-consensual violence committed for sexual gratification
a crime. Courtesy of Simotas’ offi ce
TIMESLEDGER, A 4 PR. 12-18, 2019 QNS.COM
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