The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill that aims to keep children safe during custody disputes in honor of a young girl who was killed by her father in a murder-suicide five years ago.
Senate Bill 55, also known as “Kayden’s Law,” unanimously passed in Harrisburg late Wednesday night. The bipartisan legislation – sponsored by Senators Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and Lisa Baker (R-20) – is named after Kayden Mancuso. The 7-year-old girl from Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, was killed in August 2018 by her biological father, 41-year-old Jeffrey Mancuso, during a court-ordered, unsupervised visit that was granted after a year-long custody dispute, officials said.
Jeffrey Mancuso was later found dead inside his home in Philadelphia’s Manayunk neighborhood. Investigators said he died by suicide.
Jeffrey Mancuso had a history of violence though he was never violent towards his daughter prior to the murder-suicide, according to court records.
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On their GoFundMe page at the time of her death, Kayden's family accused Philadelphia Police and the Bucks County family court system of failing to protect the girl.
“Kayden's mother trusted that the law and the court system would work for her daughter's best interests. However, the system failed and she was taken too soon,” the page read. "Kayden's mother was told to trust the process, but the door was slammed in her face time after time."
After the passage of the bill Wednesday night, Senator Santarsiero said the new law would keep children safe during custody cases and save lives.
Politics
“No child in Pennsylvania should fear for their safety or be left alone with an abuser,” he said. “Kayden’s Law will help ensure that never happens again by requiring supervised visitation at a minimum when there is a potential risk to the child’s safety.”
The new bill would do the following, according to a spokesperson for Senator Santarsiero:
- Strengthen the current factors that judges must consider in making custody and visitation decisions, to make it clear that the most important issue is the protection of the child
- Ensure that if there is a finding by the court of an ongoing risk of abuse, that any custody order includes safety conditions and restrictions necessary, including supervised visitation, to protect the child
- Encourage the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to implement an annual educational and training program for judges and relevant court personnel on child abuse, adverse childhood experiences, domestic violence, and its impact on children
“One of the most difficult and wrenching decisions local courts must make is in awarding child custody in divorce cases,” Senator Baker said. “Judges must sort through a variety of allegations and conflicting contentions in order to determine what arrangement is in the best interests of the child. With the passage of Kayden’s Law, we are updating the criteria courts must consider before custody of a child is awarded, including adding seven crimes to the list of offenses that must be taken into account when rendering judgment.”
In his statement, Senator Santarsiero credited Kayden’s mother Kathy Sherlock with helping to push the legislation forward.
“Kayden’s Law has been a years-long collaborative effort, led by the tireless advocacy of Kayden’s mom Kathy Sherlock, along with family law advocates and experts,” Santarsiero said. “Kathy’s strength and dedication have continued to motivate me to push for this legislation and get it to Governor Shapiro’s desk to be signed into law. I want to thank my colleague, Sen. Lisa Baker, for her partnership in writing the bill and helping it get through the Senate. I also want to thank my House colleagues Tina Davis and Perry Warren for their work on this issue.”
Sherlock also reacted to the Senate passing the bill.
"Every day children are at risk of being ordered to remain in abusive, unsafe and deadly situations," she said. "I vowed to do whatever it took to protect children and have found support from so many on this journey and with today's overwhelming vote for Kayden's Law we are one step closer to fulfilling our mission of 'not one more'."
The bill now moves to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for consideration.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
