The Adult Survivors Act

The Adult Survivors Act (ASA) was signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on May 24, 2022. The legislation creates a special one year look back window to allow individuals who were 18 or older when they were sexually assaulted in New York State to file a lawsuit against the person who harmed them and/or the negligent institution. Learn more at Safe Horizon.

WATCH me in:
Governor Hochul’s Bill Signing
A PSA for the Adult Survivors Act “THIS IS FOR ALL OF US”
A PSA for the Adult Survivors Act “It Matters”

LISTEN to interviews with me on:
Capital Tonight “Survivors speak out in advance of judiciary committee vote on Adult Survivors Act”

READ about me in:
People Magazine “Marissa Hoechstetter, a mother of twin girls, is fighting for the passage of the Adult Survivors Act in New York”

Exams free from sex abuse

I hear privately from women across the country nearly every day who’ve been harassed or abused in medical settings. Most have never told anyone and are afraid they won’t be believed. A recent study on sexual misconduct by doctors estimated that fewer than 1 in 10 victims report; a percentage even lower than the roughly 36% of people who report sexual assault generally. 

LISTEN to interviews with me on:
Democracy Now “What Did Columbia Know? Survivors of Convicted Sex Abuser Robert Hadden Demand Full Accountability”
CBS News “17 women sue Columbia University, its hospitals, claim "massive coverup" of doctor's sex abuse”
Birth Allowed Radio “After Sexual Assault by OB, "I Found My Voice & I'm Not Stopping"

READ about me in:
CBS News “New York legislation inspired by sex assault survivor would combat abuse by doctors”
Columbia Spectator “A Columbia doctor sexually abused patients for decades. Why didn’t anyone stop him?
MedPageToday “How Medical Centers Fail to Police Sexual Predators”
Daily Hampshire Gazette “Comerford, Domb seek to ban non-consensual pelvic exams under anesthesia”

State Medical Boards

Medicine is ripe for abuse: there are often legitimate reasons for a doctor’s hands to be on or in your body and visits require privacy. Doctors have specialized knowledge and the “power” in the relationship. Administrators, under pressure to maintain their reputation and profits, suppress issues. State boards charged with disciplining doctors are stacked with peers and those with industry ties. We cannot expect what is essentially a self-regulating industry to improve on its own. Legislators, advocates, and healthcare leaders must work together to hold abusers and their enablers accountable.

READ about me in:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Pressure mounts on medical boards to root out sexual predator doctors”
MedPageToday “State Boards, Regulators Paralyzed on Physician Sex Assaults”
USAToday “Alleged victims of sexual assault by doctors push for 'real change' by state medical boards”

Prosecutors Free From Undue Influence

I didn’t set out to talk about being sexually assaulted by my OBGYN while I was pregnant. I wanted to show what happens when you come forward seeking help and are failed by a system rigged to favor well-connected perpetrators making campaign contributions. District Attorneys wield incredible discretionary power and must be held accountable to those they are elected to serve.

READ about me in:
New York Times “Plea Deal for Doctor Renews Scrutiny for D.A.”
BuzzFeed News “A Doctor Admitted To Sexually Abusing Patients And Then Walked Free”
NYDailyNews “Woman who accused Columbia U. gynecologist of abuse sees familiar pattern in DA Vance’s handling of Epstein case”
New Yorkers for Justice “Vance’s office has a pervasive culture of discounting survivors. What does he plan to do about that?”

Reform the Sex Crimes Unit

I founded the Reform the Sex Crimes Unit campaign in advance of the 2021 election for Manhattan DA in order to advocate for increased transparency and accountability within the Manhattan DA’s Sex Crimes Unit and Special Victims Bureau. In 2022 I took down the campaign website but remain committed to the issues and reforming the office.

WATCH interviews with me on:
NY1’s Inside City Hall “Sexual Assault Survivor Advocates for Reform”

LISTEN interviews with me on:
WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show “Sexual Assault Survivors Call for Cy Vance Resignation”
Nobody Knew It Could Be So Complicated? “Reclaiming the office”

READ about me in:
CBS “Manhattan D.A. faces calls to resign over handling of doctor accused of sexual assault by Evelyn Yang”
CNN “Hadden abuse accusers call for New York district attorney's resignation”
Politico “Sexual assault survivors call on Cy Vance Jr. to resign”
Politico “Sexual assault survivor launches campaign to help unseat Vance, seek more DA transparency”
NYDailyNews “Advocates and former patients of sex offender gynecologist Robert Hadden say that Manhattan DA’s sex crimes office needs an overhaul”
The Appeal “Manhattan D.A. suggests he nudged the Governor to fix a loophole in New York Rape Law. It’s a bit more complicated.”