{"id":25407,"date":"2019-03-14T07:54:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T13:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/update.legislature.ne.gov\/?p=25407"},"modified":"2019-03-14T07:54:13","modified_gmt":"2019-03-14T13:54:13","slug":"bill-would-prohibit-minor-consent-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/update.legislature.ne.gov\/?p=25407","title":{"rendered":"Bill would prohibit minor consent defense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of the Judiciary Committee heard testimony March 13 on a bill that would provide stronger sexual assault protections.<\/p>\n

\"Sen.
Sen. Tony Vargas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LB478, introduced by Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas, would prohibit consent by a minor under 18 from being used as a defense or mitigating factor in a civil case arising out of a sexual assault perpetrated by an adult in a position of authority over the minor.<\/p>\n

Vargas said that in 2017 a Florida court found four third graders at least partially at fault when they were molested by a teacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt should be easy to say that a third grader cannot consent to sexual activity or that a third grader cannot be \u2018careless and negligent\u2019 or \u2018old enough to know better\u2019 when a teacher molests them,\u201d Vargas said. \u201cWe have a duty as elected officials to protect the most vulnerable among us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said there currently is nothing in Nebraska statutes that prevents victims in civil cases from being blamed under a defense known as \u201ccomparative negligence,\u201d which means both parties share fault in a matter.<\/p>\n

John Lindsay, representing the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, spoke in support of the bill. LB478 would close a loophole in state statute, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Nebraska Legislature for years has said that a minor under the age of 16 is incapable of consenting,\u201d Lindsay said, adding that if a minor cannot legally consent it would be \u201cabsurd\u201d to hold them partially at fault in a sexual assault case.<\/p>\n

No one testified in opposition to the bill and the committee took no immediate action on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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