Trey’s Law would make it easier for child sexual abuse survivors in Missouri to prosecute perpetrators, share experiences

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The way child sexual assault cases are handled in Missouri could soon change.

A bill named after a young man who was abused at a Missouri summer camp is moving closer to the governor’s desk. Branson lawmakers Sen. Brad Hudson and Rep. Brian Seitz are carrying bills that would eliminate the use of nondisclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases. Their other bill would eliminate the statute of limitations, allowing survivors to file a lawsuit whenever they’re ready.

A House committee has already unanimously approved the bills, they now need approval from a Senate committee to move forward.

Currently, Missourians have to file a child sexual abuse case against a perpetrator by age 31 and against a liable institution by age 26. Most child sex crime victims do not come forward until 20 years after the incident, according to the advocacy group Enough Abuse.

Six years ago, Elizabeth Phillips lost her brother, Trey Carlock. After winning his lawsuit against Kanakuk Kamps and Joe White, Trey Carlock was bound to silence by a nondisclosure agreement. He died by suicide, and his sister said she now knows more about his abuse than she ever did while he was alive.

“Victims should not be put on a clock they’re not even aware of exists in the first place,” Phillips said.

Phillips was ed by dozens of child sexual abuse survivors to testify in front of a Senate committee. Lawmakers named the NDA bill Trey’s Law.

“By asg an arbitrary statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, we are siding with abs and perpetrators over survivors,” Sen. Hudson said.

Phillips has been advocating for these changes for three years now, but this is the first year a Senate Committee has heard testimony on them.

“The whole room was impacted by what we heard today, and I just hope that that momentum builds and we can get these laws ed,” Phillips said.

Kanakuk Kamp issued a blanket statement saying, “We were wrong in our understanding of the language of many of these agreements, and we failed to recognize the restrictions – both real and perceived – that many victims are under… We the right of victims to share their story in pursuit of healing.”

Insurance groups oppose eliminating the statute of limitations, lobbyists told the senate committee it would raise insurance costs exponentially.

“If you had an unlimited liability for an unknown amount of years for an unknown amount of money, how would you as a company be able to set that insurance rate?” said Rich Aubuchon, lobbyist for the Missouri Civil Justice Reform Coalition.

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