Indiana legislature passes bill aimed at protecting crime victims' rights

JEFFERSONVILLE, In. (WDRB) -- A bipartisan measure that hopes to ease the impact on crime victims and tighten loopholes for child predators will now head to Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk for approval.

Senate Bill 551 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 92 to 4. It previously passed the Senate unanimously.

The bill has been widely praised by prosecutors in the Hoosier state.

"For too long, the system has been tilted toward affording criminals more and more rights at the expense of victims," said Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull. "Any time that victims rights are address by the legislature and enacted into law, I think that's a good thing."

The bill has a number of provisions that prosecutors say will help them during criminal prosecution including a provision that would allow child victims of sexual assault to bring comforting personal items onto the witness stand during trial.

"Many times with child molesting victims, they're so upset and traumatized that they're not able to relay to a jury what happened," Mull said. "This will be one small thing that may be the difference between me being able to prove someone guilty of a crime rather than not."

Prosecutors also say the law will provide for the ability to prosecute those who might be "grooming" a minor for sex with gifts or communication before any abuse happens.

"It allows a parent to come to court and get a court order from a judge to order this person to stop contacting the child," Mull said."If they don't stop that activity, I can charge that person with a crime and have them incarcerated."

For people convicted of more than one strangulation charges, there will be stiffer penalties under the new law.

"Strangulation is one of those crimes that statistics show people who perpetrate that crime often escalate into very serious homicidal behavior," Mull said.

The bill received some push back from first amendment advocates concerned with a provision that would allow information surrounding a child death to be kept secret until after criminal prosecution was complete.

"Just having some of that information out publicly can violate of a parent's right to privacy," Mull argued.

If signed, the bill will go into effect on July 1st.