All-male Maryland legislative panel fails to end law forcing rape victims to share custody with their attackers

A Maryland legislative panel comprised of five male lawmakers passed on an opportunity to allow victims of rape to deny visitation rights to their attackers.

According to the Daily Beast, a bill by Maryland Delegate Kathleen Dumais that would cut off visitation rights to rapists was passed by both Maryland houses.

With a legislative deadline looming the separate bills were were submitted to the all-male committee to hammer out that language where it sat and died.

According to NARAL, Maryland is one of only seven states that does not have a law on the books allowing women to terminate the visitation and parental rights for their rapists if their child was conceived as a result of the assault.

According to the Beast, the bill cannot be reconsidered until the theMaryland General Assembly reconvenes until its 2018 session om  January 10.