Re-Victimization in rape cases involving parental rights

Maryland law currently allows for a rapist to have parental rights over a child born after the rape, meaning he can fight for custody, visitation, and would have a say about whether the child could be put up for adoption.

House Bill 656, currently in front of the judiciary committee in the Maryland House seeks to change that, and part of the reason is because the rapist having any part of the child’s life would cause for the victim to be re-victimized.

47 ABC spoke with local psychologist Dr. Kathy Seifert on the matter.

Seifert said the rapist having parental rights allows them to continue to harm the victim.

“He’s about control and power, and so, him having control and power over his victim through the child is an additional violation of the person he’s raped,” Seifert said.

Seifert said she can see no circumstance where having the rapist involved in the child’s life would be of benefit to the child or mother.