Monica's Law

Could New Jersey be the first to get it right?

The family of Monica Paul, the woman murdered at the Montclair YMCA last June, is circulating a petition to enact "Monica's Law," which would restrict child visitation by fathers in case of documented domestic violence, according to a report on Baristanet...The proposed law would require psychological testing before a man accused of domestic violence could be granted child visitation and would punish violators of restraining orders with a 3-to-5-year prison sentence. Read it all here.

This is loooooong past due....so exciting, though not for the family of Monica Paul. It always takes a tragedy....ALWAYS...and I'm so fucking sick of women and children dying.

We know that if a woman is able to get a restraining order, it may do a lot, a little, or nothing to protect her--especially if the perp has forced visitation access with the children.

The psychological testing issue is a bit tricky as I'd reckon that a lot of these perps do not have obvious psych issues. It would require extensive testing that I am unsure would prove that the perp was a risk to the children. Abusers are crafty and skilled at being "normal." That is why others always appear to be lying when compared to the abuser.

Still, I say, this is a step in the right direction...a much bigger step than the baby steps that we have been used to.