VOICES to Boston Magazine, Retract false statements and apologize for printing false information

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laurie Myers

lmyers@communityvoices.net

617-515-2079

VOICES to Boston Magazine: Retract false statements and apologize for printing false information. 

In a recent Boston Magazine article, Eileen McNamara attacked United States Senator Scott Brown for his disclosure of sexual abuse in his book, claiming his book does little to help sexual abuse survivors and more to promote his bid for re-election.  As a group that has worked alongside Senator Brown and countless survivors of sexual abuse since 2004, we are asking Boston Magazine and Eileen McNamara to retract the false statements that claim Senator Brown did little to help victims of sexual assault while he was a Massachusetts Senator and apologize for printing false information.

Senator Brown has worked tirelessly on many bills and initiatives aimed at better protecting our children and communities from predators, including extending the statute of limitations on sex crimes against children and classification of sex offenders before release from prison.  Both of these bills were signed into law in 2006, he has also supported many bills aimed at protecting communities from sexual predators, spoken at events to raise awareness, including an internet/child safety event in his district.

On the issue of sexual assault victims, Senator Brown filed several bills and amendments that would allow information to be released to victims of sexual assault and would strengthen the Victim Bill of Rights in the courts.  We have worked with Senator Brown over the years and have seen him stand with survivors of sexual assault and families of loved ones who were murdered at the hands of sex offenders. During his time in the Massachusetts Senate, Senator Brown not only advocated on behalf of these families, but he opened his office to them, so they would have a place to rest after hearings. The compassion he has shown to victims of crime over the years earned him the Community VOICES Spirit of Compassion Award in May, 2008.    

Ms. McNamara’s article should be viewed as nothing more than proof that we have so much more work to do before sexual abuse survivors are truly accepted.  Her attempt at trying to pitch one group of survivors against another in the name of politics is disgraceful and the readers of Boston Magazine should be as outraged as we are. 

Annette and Peter Presti

Parents and Grandparents of Joanne and Alyssa Presti

Murdered in 2004 by repeat sex offender, Michael Bizanowicz

Laurie Myers                                                                        

President, Community VOICES                                            

Victims’ Rights Advocate 

Debbie Savoia                                                                     

Community VOICES, Board of Directors                             

Victims’ Rights Advocate

Sandy DiBacco
Vice President, Community VOICES
Victims’ Rights Advocate

Kris Silva

Victims’ Rights Advocate
Mother of a survivor

                                   

Kerry Murphy Healey                                                            

Lt. Governor of Massachusetts 2003-2007  
                       

Bob Barry
Survivor & Advocate 

Stacie Rumenap                                                                                                       

President, Stop Child Predators                                            

Washington D.C.
                                                                 
Gary Bergeron

Survivor & Advocate
Co-Founder of Survivors Voice

Chief John Kelly                                                                   

Littleton Police Department


Lt. Jonathan Carroll
Norfolk Police Department

Lt. John Carney                                 

North Andover Police Department