The Manatee and Sarasota county proponents of new legal weapons to combat domestic violence deserve the community’s applause. Gov. Rick Scott signed their legislation into law last week.

On the same day, the governor also signed a bill that puts Florida in the national spotlight with the toughest mandatory reporting rules for child sex abuse that occurs on school and university campuses.

Both new laws will help break the culture of silence surrounding both crimes. The reluctance by victims and witnesses to report these heinous atrocities will be overcome to a certain degree.

While neither law is a panacea, they put abusers on notice of the state’s intent to pursue additional legal avenues to arrest, conviction and incarceration.

The new domestic and sexual violence law, championed by local prosecutors, counselors and lawmakers, allows “hearsay” statements admissible in court cases. (Read Full Article Here)