Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito held a roundtable with victims and survivors at UMass Law School in Dartmouth on Monday as part of an ongoing effort to pass legislation protecting them.
"It's all out there for everybody to see as pure as day that unless we do something about this, people will have stories and experiences that can only be described as horrific and tragic here in a state that claims to be so progressive and so interested in protecting those who need the help most," Baker said.
"When I was really young, I remember my abuser telling me not to say anything or we'd both get in trouble. To a five-year-old, that could be all it takes. That's all it took in my situation. No child wants to get in trouble," she said."A pedophile could completely destroy a child's entire life without ever being violent and those type of people are still a danger."
The governor's legislation would also permit prosecutors to seek a dangerousness hearing at any point in a criminal proceeding, not just at the outset, and ask that a defendant be held until the conclusion of a trial, rather than the 120 days allowed in District Court or 180 days in Superior Court. Baker's so-called dangerousness bill has drawn skepticism from some lawmakers and remains bottled up on Beacon Hill. With its latest extension, the Judiciary Committee has given itself until June 30 to decide whether the governor's proposal should advance.
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