Senate Committee Approves Indiana Crime Victims Protection Bill

ACROSS INDIANA — The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council is praising Tuesday's passage of legislation centered on protecting crime victims across the state, especially child and domestic violence victims, by expanding their rights and increasing protections. According to a release from IPAC, Senate Bill 551, authored by Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, passed unanimously by a vote of 7 to 0, and now moves on to the full Senate for further consideration.

According to a release, IPAC said the bill provides several necessary improvements to Indiana code to support Hoosier crime victims, including allowing parents to seek a protective order against anyone who makes inappropriate contact or contacts with their child. Among these other fixes are:

• Added protections for community members against sex offenders who failed to or improperly register on the sex offender or violent offender registry.
• Allows for child victims to bring a comfort item or specially trained comfort animal with them to court during testimony.
• Includes an enhancement for domestic battery if the convicted person has a prior strangulation conviction.
• Supports criminal investigations and prosecutions of child abuse cases by restricting disclosure of sensitive information about the child victim and defendant during the criminal investigation or prosecution of the case.
• Fixes a current law that potentially allows adults to engage in inappropriate sexual relations with 13 or 14-year-old minors.
• Addresses a gap in the current kidnapping and criminal confinement laws by creating an offense when the kidnapping or criminal confinement results in moderate bodily injuring to the victim, as IPAC said current law only provides for offenses that include “bodily injury” or “serious bodily injury.”
• Eliminates the current practice where an offender who is convicted of felony domestic battery can reduce the penalty to a misdemeanor.
• Would task an interim study committee with looking at the issue of discovery depositions.

“We’re pleased with the passage of Senate Bill 551 and we thank Sen. Messmer for his work on this important piece of legislation, as well as the work of Chairman Mike Young and members of the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee,” Dave Powell, executive director of IPAC, said, in a release sent to Patch. “The bill involved a lot of hard work but this is something that is needed in Indiana.”

According to IPAC, Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull also testified in support of the bill.

More information and updates: in.gov.ipac

Image via Shutterstock