Kaine approves bills boosting protection for violence victims

RICHMOND

For years, state law included language allowing individuals who had consensual sex with minors 14 and older to avoid criminal charges if they subsequently married the child.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine called it "a very archaic defense in the state to statutory rape."

On Monday, Kaine signed a bill voiding that law and enacted several other pieces of legislation that provide enhanced protection to victims of sexual and domestic violence.

There were 13 bills before Kaine, many inspired by recommendations from the Commission on Sexual Violence, which he impaneled in 2006.

"When we have these commissions and they make these reports, we use them for action," Kaine said.

Legislation he signed will prohibit law enforcement from forcing victims of sexual violence to take a lie-detector test and will require local courts to immediately file protection orders into a state crime database used by police.

Other new laws clarify that the state will pay for forensic medical exams of rape victims whether or not they participate in the prosecution of the crime, require law enforcement agencies to establish policies for sexual-assault response, and make stalking victims eligible to receive money from a criminal compensation fund.

The legislation was praised by a victims' advocate.

Calling sexual violence "a crime that has been shrouded for way too long," Kristine Hall of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance said the measures will give victims greater faith in the system and reduce barriers to services.

In addition to the new laws, the two-year state budget that takes effect July 1 includes $450,000 for sexual-assault crisis centers in Virginia.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com