NJ sexual assault victims have expanded rights, under new state law

🔴NJ sex assault victims have bill of rights

🔴New law requires case updates

🔴State lawmakers voted unanimously

TRENTON — For the first time in years the state’s existing Sexual Assault Victim’s Bill of Rights has been expanded, giving survivors the right to regular updates on their cases.

The bill of rights has been in place since 2019, outlining basic protections and rights for sexual assault survivors.

A bipartisan measure passed unanimously in both the state Senate and Assembly before being signed into law on Tuesday by Gov. Phil Murphy.

Victims of sexual assault must now be notified of certain developments concerning evidence in their respective cases, as an overall boost in transparency of progress.

Situations that warrant an update include:

🔴 Whether an attacker’s DNA profile was secured in evidence collection
🔴 Whether a DNA profile has been added to an evidence data bank, for retention or comparison
🔴 Any potential match or “hit” of such DNA profiles to other entries/cases
🔴 Status of whether sexual assault evidence is submitted to a forensic laboratory
🔴 If that evidence has been compared against any data bank
🔴 Results of such an evidence comparison

A victim can request that law enforcement provide updates on the status of all evidence collected, under the expanded law — as well as designated another trusted person to also be notified of case advancements.

Primary sponsors were Senators Linda Greenstein and Declan O’Scanlon, and Assemblywomen Carol Murphy, Michele Matsikoudis and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.

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The legislation passed in the state Senate in March and then in the Assembly in late June.

"Victims of sexual violence deserve to be kept up-to-date and aware of all major developments in the investigation of their case, both for their peace of mind and for their safety," Greenstein, Chair of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, said in a written release.

"With this law in place, we are empowering survivors and ensuring that our criminal justice system is more responsive to their needs,” O'Scanlon said in the same release.

Advocates also welcomed the empowerment of sex assault survivors, through the new law.

“By providing survivors with timely and detailed updates, the bill not only respects their right to be informed but also supports their engagement in the legal process,” New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault Co-Director Denise Rodriguez said.

“Having access to information related to their cases can help survivors of sexual violence in their healing journeys,” Executive Director of the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance, Patricia Teffenhart added.

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