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A powerful message was sent to lawmakers Wednesday by a grieving mother.
Kyra Franchetti’s life was cut short at the age of two. Her mother, Jacqueline Franchetti, says Kyra was shot twice in the back while she slept by her abusive father, who then poured gasoline all over the home and killed himself in a murder-suicide, and Kyra’s murder was entirely preventable.
Kyra’s mom Jacqueline says at the time, she was in a heated custody battle over her child, and was dismissed, discounted and ignored by the Family Court system.
This week would be Kyra’s 10th birthday, so to honor her, Franchetti placed 760 pinwheels in the ground. She says each one represents a child who was murdered because of failures by the family court system or Child Protective Services.
Franchetti is calling for the immediate passage of Kyra’s law, which will make child safety a top priority in Family Court and mandate training for judges.
The Center for Family Representation opposes the law; they say each families individual circumstances should be considered. Hannah Mercuris, senior policy counsel at CFR, released a statement saying in part, “Not only will this overly-broad piece of legislation hurt children and families, but it also has the potential to flood the courts with false allegations.”
Jacqueline Franchetti says 35 children have been murdered by their own parents while going through a custody case, separation or divorce in New York state since 2016.
