Kansas Senate honors Olympic gymnast bringing light to childhood sexual abuse

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The Kansas Senate honored a central determine in a serious case of sexual abuse of younger feminine athletes.

In mild of current discussions to create a invoice that removes the statute of limitations on youngster sexual abuse instances, the Kansas Senate invited Terin Humphrey to be acknowledged, Thursday afternoon.

Humphrey revealed in 2020 that she was sexually assaulted by Larry Nasser, a U.S. ladies’s nationwide gymnastics group physician accused of victimizing lots of of youngsters and younger ladies.

“I used to be 30 earlier than I got here out and generally I’m not even prepared and I’ve skilled the most important stage on the earth and I’m nonetheless hesitant to return out and speak about it. So I would like them to know that you simply’re simply not mentally prepared at that age,” says Humphrey.

Lawmakers introduced Humphrey with a plaque recognizing her athletic accomplishments, and she or he was joined by different survivors of childhood sexual abuse trying to advocate for reform.

“I believe it reveals that this can be a nationwide challenge that there are I consider about 17 different states which have eliminated the statute of limitations for civil instances and about 30 or in order that have accomplished so for legal as effectively,” says youngster sexual abuse survivor, Kim Bergman.

Within the four-year course of to hunt statute of limitations reform, survivors say this yr is the furthest they’ve gotten.

“ youngster sexual assault is a matter that individuals don’t find out about. They don’t give it some thought, they don’t need to give it some thought so after we got here to them they had been very well mannered ‘thanks for being right here’ after which that was it, and this yr they’re asking us questions. They’re listening to our tales and asking us questions like what’s your considerations in regards to the invoice and having these conversations. It’s a a lot deeper stage than earlier than and we’re assembly with management. That didn’t occur earlier than,” says youngster sexual abuse survivor, Lisa Patterson.

I’m excited that it’s lastly being heard and this group has been wonderful. We’ve been very resilient and we’re not going to cease till it’s handed,” says Humphrey.

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