People We Respect – Marilyn Van Derbur weighs in with her support of The CARE Act

Marilyn Van Derbur

(former Miss America, incest transcender, child advocate)
weighs in with her support of The CARE Act

I am stunned and outraged to learn that, in many states, the maximum penalty
for raping a child is probation if the perpetrator is related to the child.
If the perpetrator is not related to the child, the maximum penalty is 20
plus years.

Who, but a pedophile … who but a child rapist, would want to make the
penalty less severe for the person who is in the greatest position of trust?

The only reason I can fathom legislators not wanting to sponsor the CARE Act
would be because they are trying to protect themselves. Could there be any
other plausible justification?

Unfortunately, a federal law is mandatory because protecting children should
be our most important priority. If the states won’t act in favor of
children, then we need a federal law that will supercede state’s laws.

From age five to age eighteen, my father pried me open hundreds and hundreds
of times. I had no safe place. My supposed protector was my violator.

PROTECT CHILDREN! I speak as an adult whose life was traumatized by a father
who invaded every part of my body. I speak as an adult for children who have
no voices.

Since my story of incest became public in 1991, I have spoken in over 200
cities, been on almost every major talk show and given over 250 newspaper
interviews. I have personally answered over 7000 letters. I have been in
personal contact with more adults who were sexually violated as children
than anyone else in America.

I will watch, carefully, those legislators who oppose this act and I will
share their names with audiences nationwide as I continue my mission to help
keep children safe.

Marilyn Van Derbur
Former Miss America, incest transcender, and child advocate