Petition:
"Protect our children from sexual violence!"
Our children must be protected. Many victims of sexual violence can only talk about it decades later. Then it is no longer possible, though, to report the perpetrators to the police because the crime is past the statute of limitations. Thus, also serial perpetrators are being protected and therefore our children are in danger! Therefore, we demand from the German parliament the abolition of the statute of limitations for sexual offenses in civil and criminal law!
Sign the petition now:
http://avaaz.org/de/petition/Eine_Reform_der_Gesetze/?cuHZmbb
Why this is important:
Update July 24, 2012: We have reached 64.000 signatures! Help us to get to 75.000 – the more signatures we reach, the greater the chance that we win!
–––
Norbert Denef writes:
I needed 35 years to speak about the events of my childhood. According to German law, this is much too late to convict sexual offenders. This is a scandal! Help me with your signature to change this law and to better protect children in the future!
To put pressure on politics, I have entered into a hunger strike 3 (by now 4) weeks ago! And this pressure is having an effect – with your help, we can win this fight.
Often, the victims succeed only decades after the crime to break through the walls of shame, fear and isolation in their own surroundings.
A multitude of cases proves that it is possible – by means of forensics, accounts of witnesses, finding of diaries, slides, movies and lastly also often through confessions of the perpetrators – to ascertain the crimes in court.
In its present form, the statute of limitations concerning sexualized violence means the protection of the perpetrators by the government. Even serial offenders, against whom dozens, or even hundreds of offenses can be proven, are not prosecuted and not being held accountable in any way. Under penalty of legal steps, the victims are forced into silence by the perpetrators or institutions, where they were employed.
An abolition of the statute of limitations would secure for the victims the right to recognition and entitlement for support. It would be a signal for society to no longer legally treat these crimes as a trifle.
I myself, Norbert Denef, 63 years old, was systematically abused as a child by several perpetrators for eight years. As the speaker for netzwerkB (networkB), an advocacy group of the victims of sexualized violence, I am in a hunger strike since June 8, 2012, to take a stand for the victims, who have not received justice and help until today.
Here, you find the latest news (in German) about my hunger strike:
http://netzwerkb.org/2012/06/08/ich-bin-im-hungerstreik-2/
Please sign to protect our children and to help the victims!
|