SALT LAKE CITY — A bill to enhance penalties for sexual abuse where there is evidence of "ritualistic abuse" has been revived and will be run in the upcoming legislative session.
On Wednesday, a pair of ritualistic abuse survivors presented sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the abuse they suffered to the Utah State Legislature's Interim Judiciary Committee.
"Kidnapping is already against the law and raping a child at gunpoint is also against the law, but afterwards being offered up as a sacrifice to an evil, unknown deity in exchange for power with unfamiliar chanting, candles lit and strange symbols is currently not in the law," said Cara Baldree, who said she was a victim of such abuse as a child.
The bill being run by Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, who ran a similar piece of legislation earlier this year. After more emotionally wrenching testimony, that bill advanced out of committee but failed to go anywhere in the rest of the legislative session. He is seeking to enhance the penalty if there is evidence of ritualistic abuse in a child sexual abuse case.
"As we heard, it’s difficult to even hear let alone understand and deal with for the survivors," Rep. Ivory told FOX 13 News on Wednesday. "By having this in code? That gives them immediate credibility that this is a thing."
Lawmakers on the committee offered empathy for the survivors, but questioned how the bill would change what is already criminalized.
"Do we have any idea how widespread this is?" asked Rep. Cory Maloy, R-Pleasant Grove.
Rep. Ivory cited Utah County Sheriff's deputies who said "there are dozens, hundreds of credible allegations from the investigations that they’ve done so far."
There have been some high-profile cases where ritualistic abuse has been cited. A former follower of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs filed a civil lawsuit against him accusing him of "ritualistic sexual abuse" involving her and other girls. The Utah County Sheriff's Office said in 2022 it was investigating cases with more than 100 potential victims of "ritualistic abuse."
On Wednesday, Utah County Sheriff's Lt. Jason Randall confirmed ongoing investigations into allegations of ritualistic abuse and urged passage of the bill.
"The fact that this has not been codified at this time literally just sends a message to these victims that they’re irrelevant and they’re not believed," he told lawmakers on the committee.
Kimberli Koen said a change in the law would help people like her.
"I have been met by so many roadblocks in my own healing," she testified to lawmakers.
The bill did advance out of committee. It will now be considered in the 2025 Utah State Legislature.
"This is a thing, sadly," Rep. Ivory said after the hearing. "We need to do all that we can to eradicate it so it’s no longer a thing in Utah."
