Representative Michele Lepore-Hagan

Ohio’s 58th House District

Representative Tavia Galonski
Ohio’s 35th House District

October 20, 2022

Ohio Attorney General

30 East Broad Street, 14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

RE: Use of Crime Victim Compensation funds to support Ohio’s child sexual assault survivors

Dear Attorney General Yost:

We write seeking information about your office’s administration of the Crime Victims Compensation
fund. Lawmakers created this program to help Ohioans at their most vulnerable, such as child victims of
sexual assault and especially those minor children who are impregnated by their attacker. To ensure that
the program is meeting its purpose, we need transparency from your office about how it is being
administered. We need to know that the young victims of sexual assault, the ones Ohioans have been
hearing more about lately in the news, are able to access the resources they need to recover and thrive.
When someone is sexually assaulted and impregnated from that assault, time is of the essence. These
crime victims need immediate assistance. They do not have months or years to contemplate their options
to apply for some kind of compensation well after their attack.
In order to evaluate this program and ensure it is best serving Ohioans, we ask you to provide the
following information:
 What is the total number of applications received from survivors of sexual assault?
 How many applications from sexual assault survivors were approved? How many were denied?
 What are the ages and other demographic information of the sexual assault survivors forming the
basis of these applications, both accepted and denied?
 What types of expenditures did the applicants seek to cover, either with up-front emergency
funding or later reimbursement?
 How many applicants were provided funding for abortion services related to their sexual assault?
How many applicants were denied funds for needed abortion services?
Please include also any manual or documented process used to determine whether to approve or deny an
application. Please also include data and information about applications from care-givers to or family
members of the sexual assault victim.
 This is an urgent matter. As your office seeks in court to reinstate the cruel abortion ban that denies
needed abortion care to pregnant people and survivors, we want to help the people of Ohio prepare for
all circumstances and be able to claim their rightful compensation as a crime victim whenever tragedy
strikes. We ask that you respond to these questions within one week. We need every option on the table
to protect Ohioans’ rights.

We look forward to your timely response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Representative Michele Lepore-Hagan Representative Tavia Galonski

Ohio House District 58 Ohio House District 35

134th General Assembly Committee Assignments Contact Information

Commerce and Labor, Ranking Member 77 S. High Street
Health Columbus, Ohio 43215
Transportation and Public Safety Office: (614) 466-9435
Fax: (614) 719-3960
Email: rep58@ohiohouse.gov