In January 2025, Missouri lawmakers from the Branson area introduced new bills aimed at helping survivors of childhood sexual abuse. These bills are a response to the 2010 conviction of a former Kanakuk camp director, Peter Newman, who was found guilty of abusing children at the camp. The bills aim to make it easier for survivors to sue those responsible for their abuse, either the abusers themselves or the organizations that failed to stop it.
Background of the Kanakuk Scandal
Peter Newman, who worked at the Kanakuk camp in Missouri from 1995 to 2009, was convicted of sexually abusing six children. He was sentenced to life in prison. Reports since 2021 have uncovered more accusations of sexual abuse at the camp, with several people coming forward to say they were victims.
The Kanakuk camp has also been accused of using nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to keep abuse victims silent, preventing them from sharing their stories publicly. Survivors of abuse say these NDAs added to their trauma and made it harder for them to seek justice.
Key Proposals from Lawmakers
State Rep. Brian Seitz and state Sen. Brad Hudson, both Republicans, introduced several bills in January 2025 to address these issues. Their goal is to make it easier for survivors to file civil lawsuits against their abusers. The lawmakers also want to ban NDAs in child sex abuse cases, arguing that these agreements keep the public from knowing about the abuse and prevent justice from being served.
The new bills would allow survivors to sue not just the person who abused them, but also organizations like camps or churches that may have failed to stop the abuse. This includes seeking financial compensation for the harm done.
One of the most important parts of the proposal is the push for a change to Missouri’s constitution. Seitz and Hudson have filed resolutions that would allow retroactive lawsuits. Normally, the Missouri constitution does not allow laws to apply to past events (called “ex post facto” laws). However, these lawmakers want to make an exception for childhood sexual abuse cases, so survivors can file lawsuits even if the abuse happened many years ago.
If passed, these changes would allow survivors to sue for damages even after they have reached adulthood, which is important because many survivors do not feel ready to speak out about their abuse until they are much older. Some studies show that adults may not fully understand or be able to talk about the trauma they experienced until they are in their 30s, 40s, or even 60s.
Support from the Survivor Community
Many survivors of child sexual abuse, especially those affected by the Kanakuk scandal, have supported the proposed changes. Elizabeth Carlock Phillips, a Texas-based advocate, is one of them. Her brother, Trey Carlock, was a victim of abuse at Kanakuk and died by suicide in 2019 after struggling with the trauma for years. Elizabeth has been fighting for justice on behalf of her brother and others like him.
Elizabeth said that the current laws in Missouri, which only allow abuse survivors to file lawsuits for a few years after turning 21, are unfair. She believes the new bills will give survivors a chance to seek justice, no matter how long it has been since the abuse occurred.
The Road Ahead
The new bills need to pass through Missouri’s state legislature before they can become law. This includes approval by both the Missouri House and Senate, which are controlled by Republicans. If the bills pass, they could bring significant changes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Missouri, allowing them to hold their abusers accountable and seek compensation for the harm they suffered.
Additionally, the resolutions seeking a change to Missouri’s constitution would need to be approved by voters in a statewide referendum. If voters approve, the law could be applied retroactively to allow lawsuits for abuse that occurred many years ago.
Federal Law and State Differences
On the federal level, a law signed by President Joe Biden in 2022 allows child sex abuse survivors to file lawsuits for damages in federal courts. This law applies to cases involving federal crimes, such as sex trafficking, but it does not cover state law violations, which is why Missouri is looking to make its own changes.
The bills introduced by Rep. Seitz and Sen. Hudson are an important step forward for survivors of abuse in Missouri. If passed, they could set a precedent for other states to follow, giving survivors the opportunity to get the justice they deserve, no matter how much time has passed.
(Source : kbia.org)
