Attention NH legislators
I am writing in response to yet another report of child sexual assault case in New Hampshire. A pediatric neurologist has been arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile patient.
Sexual abuse of a child causes profound and lasting harm. Research by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of “The Body Keeps the Score,” demonstrates that traumatic experiences alter brain development at a cellular level. Trauma affects the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex — areas responsible for memory, emotional regulation and stress responses. A child’s brain develops very differently when shaped by abuse rather than safety and trust.
Children lack the cognitive development to fully understand or describe sexual abuse, yet they experience its emotional impact: fear, low self esteem, guilt and betrayal. These early experiences interfere with adult relationships, intimacy and overall well-being.
In the absence of witnesses, evidence of child sexual assault is reflected by trauma symptoms and grooming behaviors used by perpetrators. These behaviors include exploiting positions of trust, gradually desensitizing the child to inappropriate contact, isolating the child and using threats to ensure silence.
Despite the severity of these crimes, child sexual assault charges are too often reduced through plea bargaining. I urge New Hampshire legislators to strengthen protections for children by ensuring that high-level felony charges for child sexual assault cannot be pled down to misdemeanors.
Our laws must reflect the seriousness of these crimes and include the trauma symptoms experienced by the child as well as the grooming strategies used by the perpetrators.