Paul Martin Andrews | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 (age 65–66) Leesburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Known for | Advocacy for rape survivors in Virginia; rape survivor |
Paul Martin Andrews (born 1959) is an American rape survivor [1] and an advocate for rape survivors. [2]
In 1973, Andrews was kidnapped in his native Virginia and hidden in an underground box by the convicted child abuser Richard Ausley. Thirty years after his ordeal, he went public with his story and became an activist for bolstering Virginia law with additional funding for continued civil commitments for sex offenders after their criminal sentences end.
In this case, Virginia did not get a chance to test its new Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators Act. Ausley's sentence was extended by five years after another victim came forward.
In January 2004, Ausley was murdered in his prison cell by his cell mate Dewey Keith Venable. Andrews later said that he did not hate Ausley, and did not wish his death.
Paul Martin Andrews was thirteen when a seasoned pedophile used a common lure to convince the boy to get into his van on January 10, 1973.
As lawyers argued over civil-commitment case procedure yesterday at the state Supreme Court, Paul Martin Andrews watched with a very personal interest. Andrews was instrumental in getting the 2003 General Assembly to fund the law, which allows for the institutional incarceration of some sex offenders after they've completed their prison sentences.