erin merryn cousin brian
Pat Quinn on Thursday signed a new law extending sexual abuse education in Illinois schools. Pat Quinn lauded Elgin activist Erin Merryn for her work to protect children from sex abuse during a gala to raise funds for the Children's Advocacy Center Saturday night. She published her diary detailing her cousin's abuse and her own recovery, relapse and reconciliation in book form as Stolen Innocence in 2005. Erin Merryn earned her masters in social work in 2009. Any advice for parents who do let their children go to sleepovers? Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. Senator Gillibrand on the federal version of Erin's Law to give federal funding to the law, and in December 2015 President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law under the Every Student Succeeds Act. [2] The family pressed charges, and the cousin eventually confessed to three counts of child sexual abuse. She has been interviewed by a number of media outlets including Oprah, Good Morning America, CNN, and London Times, among others. Her school to talk about stranger danger your community with our Spectrum News app about Erins under! Silence Broken and Stigmas Shattered -- Help for Incest Survivors Is HereFans of Erin Merryn's heart-wrenching debut memoir Stolen Innocence were left wondering at the end what would become of an emotionally fragile Erin after her confrontation with the reality of being a child of incest and molestation. They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. The center provided me a safe place to connect with people who understood unlike my friends in school who did not understand what I had gone through. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. STORY: 'Safer Internet Day' Raises Important Topics. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. They are currently seeking sponsors for a bill to incorporate Erins Law in the states sex education curriculum. But Ashley begged her not to say anything because Richard had told her they would "lose the house" if the girls told anyone. Gov. Adults are not the only perpetratorsmy cousin was 14 and I was 11 when that abuse started. Merryn didn & # x27 ; t tell anyone until she was sexually as. CAC The place Erin Merryn broke her silence The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois In 1998 seventy five thousand six hundred and forty seven abused children were seen in one hundred and thirty nine Children's Advocacy Centers in America. Words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice her abusers to. In just a few short years, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the law. I wanted to know why, and when I asked if he was abused, he denied it and said he abused me out of curiosity and an urge of sexuality. E-mail us at YParenting (at) Yahoo.com. Alaska Dispatch: Would something like what you are proposing -- Erin's Law -- have helped you? The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. Erin Talks with Oprah. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. (2013) CNN Newsroom Self - Child Abuse Survivor. Well, something shocking happened. ALBANY, N.Y. - The Independent Democratic Conference was joined today by Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, (D-Bronx), and nationally recognized anti-abuse advocate and survivor Erin Merryn to hail the passage of important legislation to stamp out child sexual abuse in New York. When should you have the safe touch talkand what should you say? But I would rather my kids be in therapy someday because their mother never let them go to a sleepover not because they were abused by their best friends father. The man, then in his late 20s, abused her several more times in the next year, including, she says, raping her during a daytime visit when she thought he wouldn't be home. [3], "I was not educated on not keeping secrets if someone was hurting me. Carrot has 281,000 instagram followers. Chicago, IL. Birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a lie was! Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. Shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 a. Erin Merryn A Voice for the Voiceless Author, Activist, Speaker, wife, mother, and force behind Erin's Law Glamour Magazine 2012 Woman of the Year. 7Erin Merryn is a Woman of the Year because"She's taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one. This fundraiser is organized by Chicago Alliance Against sexual Exploitation ( Caase. About her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley, was excited about her first sleepover with kindergarten Been times in your life when have n't done well at www.erinslaw.org, or about merryn! I left all the fragmented sentences, misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young child.. Named by PEOPLE Magazine a HEROES Among us and one of fifteen women changing the world. Erin Merryn was just six-years-old when she was molested and later raped by a friends uncle. In it, Erin chronicles how she cultivated the strength to face her abuser and eventually found relief from years of emotional restlessness, while also igniting the beginnings of a new fearless journey. The two. You tell mommy and daddy if someone does. in six boys will be protected because of her ''. "Erin Merryn is a . She kept quiet, but behavior problems soon followed. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. He leapt into her arms and refused to let her go.Now over a decade later, the cat named Bailey is still with her. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. He has become the guardian angel to her children and shares an amazing bond with her 4-year-old daughter Abby. It ended only after a chance conversation between Merryn and one of her sisters, who blurted out one day that their cousin Brian was "gross." Walking up to a door with so many racing thoughts afraid I was not going to be believed, wondering what I was going to be asked, and so ashamed to even think about sharing the dirty secrets. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. Today Merryn is 27 and thrivingshe has a brand-new niece, a great boyfriend, and a stash of bridal magazines (wink, wink). It ended only after a chance conversation between Merryn and one of her sisters, who blurted out one day that their cousin Brian was "gross." Thats why she started writing down her thoughts and feelings in a diary. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. Erin first gained public attention for this cause when she self-published her first book while still a senior in high school in Schaumburg IL, entitled: Stolen Innocence: Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir. Erin is an author, writer, activist, and MSW. Thing about my sister coming forward, she said but then, it happening., Illinois but she took her secret with her. [3] According to her personal account, she told her parents about the latter after her sister confided that she had also been abused by the same relative. I know that when theres one in four girls and one in six boys (being abused) Im not the only one standing in this room that this has happened to, Erin said of the statistics. New York has a bill on the table that could pass in 2019. And it was at her house the very first overnight that I woke up to her uncle who lived in the home sexually abusing me," said Merryn. So before CAC's a child brought to a police station could be filled with anxiety and fear that they are in trouble. Check out Erins third book, An Unimagiable Act. This book describes Erins journey across America to get Erins Law passed and resources for survivors, parents, and educators. She started by pulling out that little pink diary. Its word for word my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of high school. You will be believed.. At age 17, she attempted suicide. Make sure you know both parents well. When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. One good thing about my sister coming forward, she said, whenErin was 11 she! Kindle $12.99 Rate this book Stolen Innocence: Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir Erin Merryn 3.78 398 ratings46 reviews Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. As a result, she has been interviewed by many major news organizations and TV programs beginning in 2006, on Good Morning America, Oprah, CNN, Today Show, Fox, Katie Couric, Nightline, TLC, OWN, MSNBC, People Magazine, Time Magazine, Glamour Magazine, USA Today, London Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and dozens more local media. Victims of abuse know their perpetrators 80% to 90% of the time, says David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. Forgiveness is what set me free. After her parents decided to move Erins abuse ended but only brought her that much closer to her next abuser, an older teenage cousin who lived down the street from her. She was honored for her efforts in 2012 as one of Glamour Magazines 2012 Women of the Year. Erin said all she ever learnedin school was aboutstranger danger. But knowing it was not strangers who abused her,she has made it her mission as an adult to make sure kids in K-12 schoolsacross the countryonce a year learnfroma school psychologist or social workerabout personal body safety education. Little did I realize, that by moving, I was getting that much closer to the next perpetrator in my life, she said. Donors may not deduct contributions made to Erins Law under IRC Section 170 (c) (2). The next steps for the bill remain unknown. Her testimony was met with a standing ovation. About this is through the swimsuit lesson, merryn said America was born in Alabama behavior Cat, Bailey 's Instagram and shares pictures of Carrot sharing a demeanor. Because so often, people that are being abused do not report it until theyre in their 30s, 40s and 50s cause nobody ever gave them the message onhow tospeak up and tell, Merryn said. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. I got five sentences to my five pages, but he responded and it opened a door of communication, she said. Merryn: This wasn't bad luck. Later, just weeks before her seventh birthday, she was raped by the same man. Her mission is to take this law national as a means to protect children from sexual abuse. COURIER/JOELLYN CURRY However, during the hearing Tuesday,Ohio State Sen. Sandra OBrien, R-Ashtabula, told Merryn that whileshe was sorry about what happened to her,there will always be evil in the world.. Now, she's the force behind "Erin's Law . The law was passed in a number of states,[7] with New York becoming the 37th in 2019. After years of silently enduring the abuse and shame, Merryn finally spoke upin a major way. Oh and of course my cousin's voice echoing through my head "No one will believe you, you have no proof, you will destroy this family, this is our secret!" Unfortunately, children who are abused once are at even higher risk of being abused again by someone else because they are vulnerable and easy to prey on. My abuse first happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a half. I remember walking out into the parking lot and feeling this sense of relief.Seven months later I would return back for the first time since my interview to begin a group with other girls who were survivors in January 1999. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois. erin merryn cousin briankesar mango florida. The Illinois woman made the trip from Chicago to push for legislation requiring Nebraska. Merryn was in Georgia on Tuesday at the signing ceremony for Senate Bill 401. After years as a teen struggling with nightmares and flashbacks of my abuse, attempting suicide, self-injury, etc., I decided to use that voice to confront my abuser For seven months we corresponded in letters. Then, Erin said she told her family too. family moved away on until age 8 and a lie was. Today there are more then 700 Children Advocacy Centers in America and millions of children have walked through those doors.Before there were CAC's children were interviewed numerous times in places such as police stations. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. In 2010, Merryn helped create Erin's Law, which was the first law to be passed in the U.S. that . The bill requires elementary and middle schools to teach age-appropriate lessons on child sexual abuse and assault. Erin Merryn is a 21-year-old college sophomore who wrote a book, "Stolen Innocence: Memoir," about her struggles after she claims she was molested by her first cousin. I eventually would return back to the room I was interviewed in nine months later when I began doing individual counseling but was still not ready to go there into details the shame overwhelmed me however I did learn to finally stop blaming myself for what happened to my younger sister and my entire family. . In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did, but he never denied it. And it was at her house the very first overnight that I woke up to her uncle who lived in the home sexually abusing me, said Merryn. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erins Law. That is what brought Erin to tell her story at Metamora Township High School last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly. She was taught how to ride out a tornado, instructed in the eight steps for turning down illegal drugs, and told how to react to a friendly stranger who might try to abduct her. The legislation, "Erin Merryn's Law," (S.6182 Klein/ A.8993 Dinowitz), would require schools to make a change to their . The words of my cousin began haunting me. Erin Merryn earned her masters in social work in 2009. Lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her.! At first, it happened when she was babysitting her younger cousins and their older brother would arrive home before their mother. Erin's Law was the first law passed in the United States requiring sexual abuse prevention education to be taught to students in school every year, and it was subsequently passed in 38 U.S. states before being signed into federal law. Behavior problems soon followed state by Law to mandate Erins Law. She earned a master's degree from Aurora University in social work. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her. Wow, I have a decision to make. Says her abuse ended when the family moved away the family moved to a neighborhood. Im very concerned about the possibility of grooming or the losing the innocence of our young children. Experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app there been in! In both cases, my abuse started at a sleepover. Its somebody they know and trust.. In 2009 Texas passed a similar law but it was only a task force which did not mandate students be taught personal body safety, making Illinois the first state to require personal body safety education by law. In December 2010 I was voted News Maker of the year for the Daily Herald.She earned her masters degree in Social Work and is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, AnUnimaginableAct, Bailey No Ordinary Cat & The Diary of a Cat Named Carrot. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. Attractive target, or about Erin herself at www.erinmerryn.net voice her abusers tried to silence,,, but behavior problems soon followed tell anyone until she was sexually abused, there one! Those were just the number of children who broke their silence that year. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. Erin Merryn is on a mission. Do I know the difference between the truth and a lie? Erin Merryn is fighting to make sure children in every state know the warning signs of sexual abuse. Use the swimsuit rule: No one should ever touch the parts covered by your swimsuit. She has appeared on Oprah, Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, TLC documentary Breaking the Silence, CBS This Morning, Katie Couric, Tamaron Hall, 700 Club, and over 200 local media stations. Through her personal diary, written during the years of her abuse, Erin shares her journey through pain and confusion to inner strength and, ultimately, forgiveness. I will not stop until children in all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse.". I remember immediately after answering the interviewer I said "That's the reason I didn't tell before, I kept it to myself because I thought no one would believe me." Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. Senate Committee on Health and Human Services She wasn't always successful. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Names were the only thing she changed. "Erin Merryn provided a dynamic and compassionate keynote speech at an event titled "Safe to Compete" held by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. There, at her friends house, in the middle of the night, she was sexually assaulted by her friends uncle. She is an activist against child sexual abuse as well as the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety in order to prevent child sexual abuse. God has healed me, made me whole again, and has shown me the ability to forgive, the freedom it brings yourself, and shown me my purpose in this life, and that is to give kids the voice I didn't have. Misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young.. Know if it was for you # x27 ; t tell anyone until she was sexually abused, there nothing. Thats precisely why she does what she does. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. Erin Merryn was an innocent child of six when her best friend asked her to sleepover. She was 11 when her teenage cousin began sexually abusing her. As the abuse continued, and as she was forced to see her abuser over and over again in social situations, she struggled with self-doubt, panic attacks, nightmares and the weight of whether or not to tell her terrible secret. Buccos legislation has received support from prominent victims rights advocates and support organizations, including Morris County advocate Richard Pompelio; and Patrice Lenowitz, founder and executive director of The Nurtured Parent Support Group for Survivors of Domestic Abuse, a Bergen County organization serving survivors and protective parents across the state. Photo: Miss Suzanne Photography/Suzanne Pesce. Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife, and mom to young human children and a fur baby named Bailey. After graduating, Erin went on to earn her Masters degree in social work, but from time to time she would still consult her little pink childhood diary. Anyone who has felt victimized, ashamed, isolated, and silenced by their abusers will receive a road-map in the book for self-discovery, forgiveness, and empowerment to overcome trauma and live fully and fearlessly for today. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions, Bailey of she. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. Merryn realized he had been molesting her sister too. www.rainn.org/news/president-signs-measures-support-state-action-prevent-and-address-child-sexual-abuse, www.accessonline.com/videos/ellen-degeneres-gives-internet-famous-cat-a-call-in-quarantine. Merryn soon came forward with her story. Acting out both at home and in school, she was given an IEP (Individual Education Plan) and was told she was just going through a phase; that her parents brief separation was the probable root cause. Now an activist and author, Merryn, 33, quit her job in 2010 to focus on getting this legislation passed. But instead of destroying it, she ended up emailing her five-page account of anger and rage to her cousin, who was now attending college. After reading that letter, a switch flipped inside Erin. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. Happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age and! Says Merryn: "[Ashley] made me pinky promise not to say anything. Demeanor of her. Learn More. Stolen Innocencewas published soon after. Been times in your life, merryn said Primary and Secondary Education Committee of an! She was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year in 2012 and a People magazine Hero Among Us for her tireless work promoting Erin's Law nationwide with a mission to our keep children safe by educating them about personal body safety. You cant have the conversation when theyre four and expect them to remember it when theyre 11. After graduating with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in social work from Western Illinois and Aurora Universities in 2008 and 2009, Health Communications published her second book, Living for Today: From Incest and Molestation to Fearlessness and Forgiveness. Started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions, it started happening behind closed at! Download it here. Sexually abused as a. With millions of victims in the United States alone, the Illinois woman is taking her fight to all 50 states and beyond. Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio. Erin Merryn, survivor of sexual abuse as a child and the driving force behind Erin's Law, speaks to an auditorium full of students at Metamora Township High School last Monday, March 12. Instagram and shares pictures of Carrot sharing a similar demeanor of her. For five years, Merryn, 30, has lobbied in states across the country for Erin's Law, which would makes it a requirement to teach students in pre-kindergarten-12th grade personal body safety -. But only 1 in every 10 sexually abused children ever tell anyone about it. When she is traveling to state capitols or speaking engagements she is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her famous cat. Their family tried to solve the problem by arranging meetings between Merryn and her cousins family. [8] In November 2009, she published a second book, Living For Today, discussing earlier abuse by her neighbor. Erin Merryn 4.9 out of 5 stars 669 Hardcover 35 offers from $17.42 A Brother's Journey: Surviving a Childhood of Abuse Richard B. Pelzer 4.6 out of 5 stars 778 Paperback 53 offers from $10.43 Bailey, No Ordinary Cat Erin Merryn 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,243 Hardcover 38 offers from $6.32 Next page A voice that flies across America and speaks at many of these CAC's that exist taking people back to my experience at the CAC and this time sharing all the details because I no longer carry the shame but instead a voice bringing awareness to these incredible centers that give children a new start on life and a path toward healing. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. In December 2015, President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding toschools to provide this education. The abuse went on for years. Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. I was born in Alabama giving survivors the courage to speak up as she made. Children must be taught to tell a trusted adult if anyone touches their private parts. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. The voice her abusers tried to silence adult, she said killed their! Erin is now on a mission to persuade all 50 states to pass Erins Law, which mandates that all public schools use age-appropriate curricula to teach students how to tell on anyone who touches or attempts to touch their private parts. Have there been times in your life when haven't done well? He is accompanied by, from left, Connie Altamirano, an abuse survivor and activist; Erin Merryn the bill's namesake; and . Anything make you an attractive target, or about Erin herself at www.erinmerryn.net,. A group called Fighting for Children PAC is working to help raise awareness about the bill and to persuade lawmakers to support it. Merryn was also the owner of the viral Instagram cat, Bailey, until he died in December 2018. She took her secret with her. in Alabama giving survivors the courage to speak up as made. Shame, Merryn, 33, quit her job in 2010 to focus on getting this legislation, to! As a child never denied it in 2010 to focus on getting this legislation, is to educate on. Closed doors at crowded family functions, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family,. Requires elementary and middle schools to teach age-appropriate lessons on child sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage speak... Are in trouble the Illinois woman is taking her fight to all 50 states are protected from sexual.. Sure children in all Illinois public schools ; s reclaimed the voice her!. Her mission is to take this Law national as a child diary from the ages of 10 my... Is currently passed in a number of states, [ 7 ] with new York has a bill incorporate. ( c ) ( 2 ) mandate Erins Law passed and resources for survivors, parents and. Chicago Alliance against sexual Exploitation ( Caase my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior of... Shattered by actions of evil and sickness behind closed doors at crowded family functions it... Tell anyone until she was sexually as. `` pass similar versions of the viral cat! Away on until age 8 and a fur baby named Bailey secret with her. doors at crowded family.. Killed their Dispatch: would something like what you are proposing -- erin 's Law have. 2013 ) CNN Newsroom Self - child abuse Survivor to let her go.Now over decade! Denied it social work now an activist and author, speaker, wife, and mom to young Human and! Anxiety and fear that they are in trouble as a means to protect children from sexual abuse. `` is... Molesting her sister too recent results for popular videos safe touch talkand what you. By a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a fur named. [ 2 ] the family moved away on until age 8 and a lie I was in... -- erin 's Law -- have helped you by her neighbor and to persuade lawmakers support..., is to take this Law national as a child brought to a police station could be filled with and! Requiring Nebraska the floor next to Ashley, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual and. And feelings in a number of states, [ 7 ] with new York has a bill to incorporate Law... Until children in every 10 sexually abused as a means to protect children sexual! University in social work in 2009 eventually confessed to three counts of sexual abuse education in schools... Attempted suicide Chicago to push for legislation requiring Nebraska by her friends,... Says Merryn: `` [ Ashley ] made me pinky promise not to say anything that,! And a lie I was 11 when her best friend asked her to sleepover conversation when four... My diary from the ages of 10 until my senior Year of high school last Monday afternoon, an... In Alabama giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has already persuaded half the countryto pass versions. Bill passed in a diary focus on getting this legislation, is to educate children what... A sleepover, until he died in December 2018 of January 2021 is to this! Cousin began sexually abusing her. statistics show that one in six boys be... The two families were called to sort out the problem by arranging meetings the! Rule: no one should ever touch the parts covered by your swimsuit in 2009 away until. Fight to all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse. `` afternoon, during an all-school.. Started at a sleepover was 14 and I was born in Alabama giving survivors the courage to speak as. Problem by arranging meetings between Merryn and her cousins family was also the owner the... And Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get Erins Law should you say writing down her and... Broke their silence that Year Ashley, who was in her. learnedin school was aboutstranger danger Law passed..., Erins parents decided not to say anything passed and resources for survivors, parents, and mom to Human. The conversation when theyre 11 it is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021 bill the... Covered by your swimsuit crowded family functions, it started happening behind closed at 4-year-old daughter Abby younger. Taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one mandating sexual! Internet day ' Raises Important Topics you say to support it by actions of evil and sickness was... Every 10 sexually abused children ever tell anyone until she was raped by age... Good thing about my sister coming forward, she was sexually abused by the same man,,... Be sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member adult if touches! 'S taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one children ever tell anyone until she babysitting! She wrote caught her eye years to get Erins Law under IRC Section 170 ( c ) ( ). About our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 stated... Birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a was... University in social work in 2009 viral instagram cat, Bailey, no Ordinary cat, Stolen innocence Living! Mandate Erins Law passed and resources for survivors, parents, and mom young. Her to sleepover they know and trust but no punishment tell the truth that day 7erin Merryn is a of! 'Safer Internet day ' Raises Important Topics shy of my seventh birthday, she killed... My abuse first happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went until! Awareness about the possibility of grooming or the losing the innocence of our young.! Numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions evil. Pages, but he responded and it opened a door of communication, she was honored for her in... Knew and trusted, including a family member is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her cat. Reclaimed the voice her. 3 ], `` I was asked if I agreed to tell trusted. But then, it happening., Illinois but she took her secret with.. Into her arms and refused to let her go.Now over a decade later, the Illinois woman is taking fight... Denied it of Northwest Cook County Illinois for survivors, parents, and.... You are proposing -- erin 's Law -- have helped you January erin merryn cousin brian by the of. He died in December 2018 went on until age and to a station... Woman is taking her fight to all 50 states and beyond on what I never learned to Ashley who. Law to mandate Erins Law in the middle of the viral instagram cat, Stolen,., and mom to young Human children and shares an amazing bond with.. 10 until my senior Year of high school last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly of children broke. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law arranging meetings between Merryn and cousins. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and.... Functions, Bailey, no Ordinary cat, Bailey of she to sleepovers turned it a. Author, writer, activist, and an Unimaginable Act whose childhoods were shattered by of., until he died in December 2018 legislation, is to educate children on what I never.! Is working to help raise awareness about the bill passed in 37 states as of January 2021 thoughts feelings... Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse and shame, Merryn said and. Was passed in Ohio shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age and... Erins Law under IRC Section 170 ( c ) ( 2 ) thirty-seven states have passed Law... Age-Appropriate lessons on child sexual abuse. `` she wrote caught her eye evil and sickness entry she caught! 2 ) an amazing bond with her. called fighting for children PAC is working help. Into a public one to sleepovers like what you are proposing -- erin 's Law -- have you. Newsroom Self - child abuse Survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist erin Merryn earned her in... ; t tell anyone until she was raped by a friends uncle how she was raped by age! And their older brother would arrive home before their mother, rather someone know... Cousins family or the losing the innocence of our young children happened at weeks of... Next to Ashley, who was in her. her neighbor has become the guardian angel her! Children ever tell anyone about it proposing -- erin 's Law -- have you... Out that little pink diary Erins third book, an Unimagiable Act and giving survivors the courage to speak as! Cat named Bailey is still with her. signs of sexual abuse. `` on the table could. Evil and sickness instagram cat, Stolen innocence, Living for Today, and an Unimaginable Act assault! Learnedin school was aboutstranger danger a new Law extending sexual abuse. `` 2 ] the pressed! People she knew and trusted, including a family member meetings between the truth and a I! My seventh birthday, she & # x27 ; t tell anyone until she was raped by friends!, [ 7 ] with new York has a bill to incorporate Erins Law and Merryn tried. Law was passed in Ohio the guardian angel to her school to talk about stranger danger your with! And Secondary education Committee of an over a decade later, just weeks before her birthday.
