Representatives, Advocates Urge Passage Of Kyra’s Law

Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County) and Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) gathered with advocates on Monday to call for the immediate passage of Kyra’s Law (S.3170A /A.3346A). With just over two weeks remaining of legislative session, both houses must act to advance this lasting family court reform that will protect vulnerable children from violence and abuse.

Named for murdered Long Island twoyear-old Kyra Franchetti, Kyra’s Law calls for courts to consider a child’s safety when making custody and visitation decisions; directs the court to review certain information as it relates to allegations of abuse; expands the existing, weak judicial training requirements on family violence and child abuse to ensure our judges who make life-and-death decisions have the needed skills to properly assess these dangerous and lethal cases; and addresses critical shortcomings in child custody cases that result in children being abused and murdered.

In the wake of Kyra’s passing at the hands of her own abusive father, her mother, Jacqueline Franchetti, has tirelessly advocated for this desperately needed family court reform. Joining the lawmakers for a solemn walk around the Capitol on Monday, advocates poignantly pushed Kyra’s stroller–a devastating reminder of both the lasting toll of domestic violence on families, and the life Kyra was robbed of living.

“How many more children, like Kyra, must die during child custody and visitation proceedings in New York’s courts before systems are put in place to protect them during this potentially dangerous time?” asked Franchetti. “Kyra should be nine years old, instead she is frozen in time as the 2-year-old toddler I knew. Every morning the school bus goes by my home, and Kyra is not on it. Right now our courts are an abuser’s paradise, and children are routinely court-ordered into homes with abusive parents. The next child harmed may be one you know and love. We must pass Kyra’s Law before June 7.”

According to the Administration for Children & Families, an estimated 1,750 children died from abuse and neglect nationwide in 2020. The rate of child abuse in New York State is almost twice the national average, according to data provided by the state’s Council on Children and Families.

“Let’s be clear: what happened to Kyra was entirely preventable,” said Skoufis, who sponsors the legislation in the Senate. “As the father of a child around Kyra’s age, I’m