CA Assembly Committee Approves Jasmeet Bains’s Bill To Increase Child Torture Penalties
India-West Staff Reporter
SACRAMENTO, CA — In a crucial step toward stronger protections for children, the California Assembly Public Safety Committee has unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1094, a bill that would significantly increase penalties for individuals convicted of child torture.
Authored by Assemblymember Democrat Jasmeet Bains, the legislation seeks to raise the minimum sentence for child torture from just 7 years to 20 years, with the possibility of life in prison.
Currently, under California law, individuals convicted of child torture can be eligible for parole after serving only 7 years, regardless of the victim’s age. Bains’s bill would nearly triple this minimum sentence, recognizing the severe, long-lasting trauma inflicted upon young victims of such heinous crimes.
“The current law is failing victims,” said Bains who represents the 35th District. “In some cases, children are forced to prepare for their torturer’s parole hearings while they are still growing and healing from the trauma. The impact of torture is lifelong, and the punishment must reflect the gravity of the crime.”
AB 1094 has garnered widespread support, including endorsements from major law enforcement organizations such as the California District Attorneys Association, the California Association of School Police Chiefs, the California State Sheriffs Association, and the California Narcotic Officers Association.
In their statement of support, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office cited a real-life case to highlight the inadequacy of current penalties. They referred to the case of a 10-year-old girl, Natalie F., who was tortured by her stepmother, enduring ice baths, burns, and extreme starvation. Despite the brutal nature of the crime, the perpetrator received a 7-life sentence. “Natalie endured 17 surgeries to regain the use of her legs and is permanently disfigured,” the District Attorney’s Office wrote. “Parole after just 7 years is not enough. Strengthening penalties for those who inflict such severe trauma on children is essential for protecting vulnerable victims.”
Bains, who has worked extensively with abuse victims, further emphasized the long-term effects of child torture. “I have firsthand experience treating the physical and psychological scars left by abuse,” she said. “Torture can take decades to recover from, and in some cases, victims never fully heal. It is unacceptable that we treat this crime so lightly under current law.”
With unanimous approval from the Assembly Public Safety Committee, AB 1094 is now set to move forward for consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks.
