Oklahoma Senate Approves Restraining Orders For Child Abuse Survivors

An Oklahoma bill aims to help better protect children who are the victims of abuse. The lawmaker behind the legislation, Senator Casey Murdock (R), said he authored it after a parent came to him for help.  

“We need to have those conversations,” said Sen. Murdock.  

Murdock had one conversation with a parent he said he couldn’t ignore.

“Their child was abused,” Murdock said. “The predator, because that’s what they are, continued to try to stay in contact.” 

Courts use restraining orders, or VPOs, to protect a person in an abusive situation. The way Oklahoma law is written now, only adults can request a restraining order. The parent Murdock spoke to couldn’t get one for their child.

“We’re gonna do legislation and start fixing this,” Murdock said.

Senate Bill 291 would help child survivors' parents get that restraining order. 

“The victim a lot of times gets forgotten about,” Murdock said. “I think it will help these kids start healing.”

This conversation is one Murdock said won’t get easier.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. 

However, Murdock wants Oklahoma to keep talking about it and make a difference for these children.

“This is a start,” Murdock said. “I’ll stand up for them every second I can.”

Senate Bill 291 has already passed the Senate and will head to the House. If it clears all its other hurdles, it will become law in November of this year.