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Legislation being introduced in Michigan to help prevent sex abuse

July 18, 2012|WSBT-TV Report

Today, lawmakers in Michigan consider a tougher new, law designed to prevent child abuse that many other states already have.

Statistics show one out of four girls and one out of seven boys are sexually abused by the age of 18.

Michigan State Senator John Proos of St. Joseph has joined with sex abuse advocate Erin Merryn at the Berrien County Council for Children to help raise awareness about sex abuse.

Merryn is a sex abuse survivor and has made it a mission to help prevent abuse.

Four states, including Indiana, have passed Erin's Law named after Merryn.

Senator Proos and Merryn were scheduled to testify today before a Health Policy Committee in hopes of passing similar legislation in Michigan.

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"This is the silent epidemic," said Merryn. "We all look the other way and don't want to address. But the truth of the matter is, this is going on in everybody's backyard."

Under the legislation proposed in Michigan, schools would adopt age appropriate curriculum, train school personnel on child sexual abuse and adopt policies to inform parents on the warning signs of abuse.


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