Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is demanding the immediate passage of a bill known as Paula’s Law, which aims to ensure that persons who sexually assault and then murder a child under the age of 18 will never be released from prison. This push to pass the bill comes in response to the granting of parole to Robert McCain, one of two men who brutally raped and murdered Paula Bohovesky in 1980, a 16-year-old who lived in Pearl River, New York.

Paula is survived by her nearly 90-year old-mother. She expressed her fear that McCain and his accomplice, Richard LaBarbera, who was also granted parole a year ago, will harm other women in the community while living in the free world once again.

Hawley is also calling for the resignation of every member of the New York State Parole Board led by Tina M. Stanford under Gov. Cuomo’s administration, following their decision to grant McCain his release. His release is just one of many instances of releasing offenders known to be highly violent into the public by the parole board.

“The strong-armed rape and murder of an innocent 16-year-old girl is something that can never be forgiven, and we’d be naive to think somebody that did something so inhuman in their past is incapable of doing it again,” said Hawley. “With everybody looking to reduce violence in our state and bolster public safety, passing Paula’s Law and ensuring those who molest and murder children are kept behind bars for life should be something we can all agree on. We must also seek the immediate replacement of our state’s parole board, who have time and time again put concerns for the well-being of criminals above those of public safety.”