23 States Allow Rapists to Demand Custody of Their Victim’s Children

National   |   Josh Brahm   |   Jun 24, 2014   |   10:02AM   |   Washington, DC

Shauna Prewitt, a Chicago-based attorney and rape-victim advocate has become a high-profile supporter of state legislation that prevents rapists from demanding custody of their victim’s children. shaunaprewittWhen Prewitt was in college she was raped and became pregnant, and chose life for her baby girl. Her rapist then sued her for custody of the child!

As Prewitt explained to CNN, in many states, “…men who father through rape are able to assert the same custody and visitation rights to their children that other fathers enjoy.”

Rather than vehemently punishing the abhorrent acts of these men, legislation punishes the children and mothers instead. Today, Prewitt advocates for the rights of mothers who have experienced rape and become pregnant, and she advocates for the right to life of the children conceived in rape.

“I think this world would be a much worse place without my little girl in it. I think the world needs more people like her,” Prewitt says.

Click the video below to watch Shauna tell her story, in a video filmed for Lake County Right to Life and posted at LifeNews:

Prewitt won the custody battle against her rapist, and then went to law school to prevent other survivors of rape from having to go through the same ordeal she went through.

In just four years, Prewitt has helped pass legislation in 11 states. Now 27 states have addressed rapists’ custody rights, up from 16.

“It’s huge,” Shauna Prewitt told Hot Air. “This is really my first foray into the legislative arena. To go from 16 to 27 [states] is pretty amazing from what I’ve heard from people. I’m immensely proud of the progress we’ve made.”

As LifeNews reported in January, a documentary film called 31 States is being produced to expose this problem. Click the video below for a preview.

Every single state should have legislation passed that blocks rapists from suing for the custody rights of the children they fathered in rape.

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ACTION STEP: Here are the states that do NOT yet have legislation for this. If you live in one of these states, contact your legislators and ask them to sponsor the same kind of legislation that is sweeping across the country.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nebraska
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming