The Law

"Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one" - Chinese proverb

Websites        Publications

Websites

18 USC Sec. 2340A, 01/05/99
"Whoever outside the United States commits or attempts to commit torture shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both..."
http://www.capdefnet.org/fdprc/contents/fed_cap_off/18_usc_2340A.htm 

18 USC, Sec. 2340(1)
(1) "torture" means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended 
to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful 
sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control;
(2) "severe mental pain or suffering" means the prolonged mental harm caused by or resulting from
    (A) the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering;
    (B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of 
    mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the 
    personality;
    (C) the threat of imminent death; or
    (D) the threat that another person will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or 
    suffering, or the administration or application of mind-altering substances or other procedures 
    calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality...
http://www.capdefnet.org/fdprc/contents/shared_files/titles/18_usc_2340.htm 

1990 U.S. reservations, declarations, and understandings, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 
Section II: "...an act must be specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering."
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/usdocs/tortres.html 

1998 Public Law 105-320 - Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998
Sections 2 and 3 define torture as "the deliberate mental and physical damage caused by governments to individuals to destroy individual personality and terrorize society...includes the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence by a person acting under the color of law upon another person under his custody or physical control." (Note: this act does not include aid for individuals who are tortured within the United States.) 
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-in/getdoc.cgi?dbname=105_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ320.105 

2003 Public Law 108:21 - Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act
Title 1, Section 102 of P. L. 108:21 specifies that a person will receive the death penalty if convicted of a crime that was committed at the offender's age 16 or older, in which the offender abuses a child, and the child dies, or tortures a child, and the child dies. An added stipulation is that the child must have been in the offender's care or control at the time of the murder. Further, the murder can also have been "perpetrated as part of a pattern or practice of assault or torture against [the] child or children," meaning that the "assault or torture [has been] engaged in on at least two occasions." (Note: "torture" is defined in 18 USC, Sect. 2340(1) - see above.) 
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ021.108.pdf

American Convention on Human Rights
http://www.hrcr.org/docs/American_Convention/oashr.html

Animal Law.Com: International Institute for Animal Law
http://www.animallaw.com/index.cfm

Center for Constitutional Rights
http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/home.asp 

The Center for Law and Social Responsibility at New England School of Law - Sexual Violence Legal News Online
http://www.nesl.edu/csr/svnews/ 

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/h2catoc.htm

Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. State Statutes 
http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/general/legal/statutes/define.cfm 

European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/documents/ecpt-version1989.htm

Fact Sheet No. 17, the Committee against Torture, U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs17.htm 

Human Rights Education: Backgrounder on Geneva Conventions
http://www.amnestyusa.org/education/geneva.html 

Human Rights Fundamentals
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/whatare.htm

Human Rights Network International
http://www.hrni.org/index_flash.html 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights  
http://www.hrcr.org/docs/Civil&Political/intlcivpol.html

International Humanitarian Law (Law of War)
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/lit/iraq/laws.html 

International humanitarian law and human rights
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/section_ihl_and_human_rights?OpenDocument

International Instruments and Mechanisms for the Fight against Torture - 2. International Torture Reporting Mechanisms and Complaint Procedures, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
http://www.irct.org/usr/irct/home.nsf/unid/JREW-5FCHCU

Justice Expands "Torture" Definition: Earlier Policy Drew Criticism by R. Jeffrey Smith and Dan Eggen, Washington Post, 12/31/04
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A37687-2004Dec30?language=printer 

The Law and Mind Control: A Look At The Law And Government Mind Control Through Five Cases by Helen L. McGonigle, Attorney at Law, August 15, 1999. 
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/smartnews/fivecases.htm?mtbrand=AOL_US 

The Legal Prohibition Against Torture, Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/11/TortureQandA.htm  

Memorandum for Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the President - Re: Standards of Conduct for Interrogation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp_srv/nation/documents/dojinterrogationmemo20020801.pdf 

Nuremberg Code 
http://onlineethics.org/reseth/nuremberg.html 

Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 1982, UN General Assembly Resolution
http://www.hri.ca/uninfo/treaties/40.shtml
http://deoxy.org/wc/wc-nurem.htm 

Ritual Abuse and Torture - A Legal Quandary by Helen L. McGonigle, Attorney-at-Law, August 2004.
http://members.aol.com/smartnews/hm04.htm 

State Statutes Search (child abuse & neglect, child welfare, & adoption in the U.S.) 
http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/general/legal/statutes/search/ 

Statutes of Limitations of Sex Offenses by State 
http://www.rainn.org/public-policy/legal-resources/statute-of-limitations.html?PHPSESSID=
80ba43972144329f81e8af12fb3c9363

Torture and the Law, Amnesty International
http://www.amnestyusa.org/stoptorture/law.html

US and International Standards against Torture, Amnesty International
http://www.amnestyusa.org/stoptorture/us_international_standards.html

Summary of International and U.S. Law Prohibiting Torture and Other Ill-treatment of Persons in Custody, Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/24/usint8614.htm 

Tokyo Declaration of the World Medical Association, 1975  
http://www.cirp.org/library/ethics/tokyo/

U.N. Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, 1988
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/g3bpppdi.htm 

U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 1975 
http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cat.html

U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1976
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_ccpr.htm 

U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/h_comp34.htm 

U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html 

U.S. Department of State Initial Report of the United States of America to the UN Committee Against Torture, October 15, 1999
http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/torture_index.html 

U.S. Law Prohibits Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Human Rights First
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/after_911/PDF/Torture.pdf 

U.S. Reservations, declarations, and understandings, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Oct. 27, 1990
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/usdocs/tortres.html 

U.S. State Laws restrict use of electronic and/or electromagnetic weapons
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/ros/lom/lom122nd/7pub251%2D300/pub251%2D300%2D22.htm 
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw04/sl040170.htm 
http://www.michiganlegislature.org/mileg.asp?page=PublicActs 

Validity of "Battered Woman Syndrome": in Criminal Cases Involving Battered Women, Mary Ann Dutton, Ph.D.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ocpa/94Guides/Trials/Valid 

VAWOR (Violence Against Women Online Resources)
http://www.vaw.umn.edu/index.asp 

What is Battered Woman's Syndrome? by Lori S. Rubenstein, Attorney-Mediator, Family Law Advisor
http://www.divorcenet.com/or/or-art02.html 

Top of Page

Publications

The Law and Hypnosis:  United State Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Adopts Test for Post-Hypnotic Testimony:  The Legal Test and Aftermath by Helen L. McGonigle, Attorney at Law.  
To obtain a copy of the report, send request to Ms. McGonigle at PO Box 326, Brookfield, CT  06804-0326.  Office phone:  (203) 740-0074.

Memory, Trauma Treatment and the Law by Daniel Brown, Ph.D., Alan W. Scheflin, J.D., LL.M., and D. Corydon Hammond, Ph.D., ABPH.  
W. W. Norton & Co., 1998.  Hardcover.  ISBN 0393702545.  816 pp.  
http://www.smith-lawfirm.com/McGonigle_review.htm

This page was most recently edited on 11/02/2009. 

Emergency contacts and resources 

SOUTHEAST
TENNESSEE

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, Inc.
Chattanooga Office
Phone 423-267-1297 
Fax 423-265-4923

Children's 
Advocacy Centerof Hamilton County County 
24-hour child abuse hotline: 
1-877-54-ABUSE

Domestic Violence
Resources

Focus Adolescent Services: Family Help in Tennessee
(410) 341-4342
(877) 362-8727

The Partnership
for Families,
Children and Adults
(Partnershipfca)
Family Violence 
Services Shelter
and Sexual Crisis & Resource Center
24-hour hotline:
(423) 755-2700

Survival Necessities Assistance

Tennessee Dept.
of Human Services
Child and elder abuse
24-hour hotline:
(423) 266-0162

USA 

Abuse Consultants
Suicide resource
page

Child Help USA
24-hour National
Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

Cyber Tipline
To report child sexual exploitation
24-hour hotline: 1-800-843-5678

Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men
24-hour hotline:
1-877-643-1120, 
pin # 0757

Friends of Battered Women and Their Children
Counseling and legal
advocacy
24-hour hotline:
1-800-603-4357

Hot Peach
Pages - USA
State lists of agencies against domestic violence

KID SAVE
"Referrals to shelters, mental health services,
sexual abuse
treatment, substance abuse, family counseling,
residential care, adoption/foster care, etc."
24-hour helpline:
1-800-543-7283

National Center
for Missing and
Exploited
Children (NCMEC)
24-hour hotline
1-800-843-5678

National Center
on Elder Abuse
State Elder Abuse
Hotlines

National Family
Violence Helpline
24-hour hotlines:
National Child
Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453
National Domestic
Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233 or
1-800-787-3244
(TTY)
Victims of elder abuse
1-800-879-6682

National Family
Violence Hotline
24-hour hotlines:
1-800- 221-2681  
1-800- 222-2000

National Runaway/ Adolescent Suicide Hotline
24-hour hotline:
1-800-621-4000

National Suicide Hotline
(Centerstone)
24-hour hotline:
1-800-SUICIDE
(1-800-784-2433)

National Youth
Crisis Hotline
"...for children and
youth who are
abused, suicidal, chemically dependent, depressed over family
or school problems, runaway or
abandoned."
24-hour hotline
1-800-442-4673

Prevent Suicide 
Do you feel you have tried everything, and nothing makes pain go away? Do you feel like your answer is suicide? Then please just take one minute and dial 1-800-SUICIDE 
(1-800-784-2433)

Rape, Abuse, &
Incest National
Network (RAINN)
24-hour hotline:
1-800-656-4673

SAFE (Self-Abuse
Finally Ends) Alternatives) 
Provides Information;
not a crisis number
1-800-DONT-CUT
(1-800-366-8288)

Stop Abuse for
Everyone (SAFE)

Stop It Now!
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Helpline 
(office hours only)
1-888-773-8368

Suicide Prevention
24-hour hotlines
1-800-827-7571
1-800-784-2433

Virtual Global Task Force (VGT)
"...made up of police forces from around the world working together to fight online child abuse."

CANADA  

Abuse
Consultants
Suicide resources

Centre for Treatment of Sexual Abuse & Childhood Trauma
Serves Ottawa-Carleton 
613-233-4929

Hot Peach
Pages - Canada  
Agencies against
domestic violence

Kids' Help Phone
National phone counselling svc. for children and youths
24-hour hotline
1-800-668-6868

Stop Abuse for
Everyone (SAFE)

Telecare Distress
Centre
Confidential 24-hour crisis and befriending phone support line:
(905) 459-7777
(Not toll-free)
Email address: telecare@on.aibn.com

Victims of Violence
For victims of violent crime - Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 233-0052
vofv@victimsofviolence.
on.ca

Virtual Global Task Force (VGT)
"...made up of police forces from around the world working together to fight online child abuse."

Many more contacts are listed in our "Support and Resources" webpages.

Every day around the world, and even here in the United States, children are sold into virtual slavery or traffic for the worst forms of sexual abuse -  President Bill Clinton, U.N. Protocol Orders Signing Ceremony July 5, 2000.

Copyright © 2004 North American Freedom Foundation  

NAFF does not discriminate against any person due to religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, disability, or national origin.