Parents want lawmakers to return to Albany to pass law to protect abused children

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- There was another effort Tuesday to push for a law in New York to protect children from abusive parents in custody cases.

The call came eight years after a 2-year-old girl was murdered by her father who was granted an overnight visit with his daughter.

It's known as Kyra's Law. While it has overwhelming support in both chambers of the state legislature, no action was taken on it before the session ended in June.

On Tuesday, a number of parents, some of whom lost children to abusive family members, staged a rally demanding lawmakers return to Albany.

They were vocal in their chants. "What do we want? We want Kyra's Law. When do we want it? Now," they said.

Parents and supporters rallied outside the Long Island offices of a legislative leader to demand an immediate return to Albany to pass Kyra's Law.

Jacqueline Franchetti, the mother of Kyra, was teary-eyed.

"Today's a hard day for me," Franchetti said choked up. "I miss my baby girl so much. She should be here, and 34 other children should be here."

The anguished mother of 2-year-old Kyra last saw her daughter in 2016 before a family court judge granted an overnight visit with her father. He shot her twice and set his house on fire before taking his own life.

"The murder was totally preventable," Franchetti declared. "Though everyone knew her father was abusive, the court still ordered she be with him."

In recent years, Kyra was one of 35 children murdered by their own parents while going through custody cases in New York State.

Despite overwhelming support -- 36 co-sponsors in the Senate, 97 in the Assembly -- the session ended in June with the bill never coming to a vote. Franchetti said Kyra's Law would do three basic things.

"First, it makes child safety top priority in child custody cases. Second, it will mandate judge training, and third, it will stop common practices that easily allow abusers to secure custody of children," Franchetti said.

The rally was staged in front of the offices of Assemblyman Charles Lavine, who the protesters claimed told them there wasn't enough time this session to pass Kyra's Law. They said he told them that laws to protect children are already on the books.