ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Our state’s top prosecutor says New Mexico isn’t doing a good job of protecting victims of crime. So he plans on introducing legislation in order to change that.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez says the bills would help protect minors and adult victims from excessive pretrial interviews, enforce protections and more.

Torrez plans on introducing his victim protection legislation at the 2025 general session. One bill would add to the victims of crime act, while the other would update it.

On Friday, victim advocates and lawmakers joined the attorney general to explain how it would help.

“Victims rights are civil rights, just like everyone else, and when a police officer abuses someone on the street or violates the fourth or fifth amendment, they have a right to take that officer to court. Why would we treat victims any differently?” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. 

Torrez is introducing two bills for the 2025 legislative session. The first involves protecting minor and adult victims of crime from excessive pretrial interviews, which Torrez says can re-traumatize victims.

“We are one of only have a handful of states in the country that permit an adult to interrogate a child about a traumatic sexual assault or physical or an incident involving child abuse,” said Torrez. 

That bill is sponsored by Rep. Tara Jaramillo.

“Our proposed bill would expand protections for children and sexual assault victims involved in criminal proceedings, by preventing child victims or witnesses from being forced to give a pretrial statement or interview,” said Jaramillo. 

Adult victims would also be allowed to refuse or limit those interviews. The bill would also require courts to reject repetitive questioning.

The second bill aims to update the Victims of Crime Act.  

“What we experienced with was pathetic, a complete disregard for victims. This was not justice. In fact, this was abuse,” said Tony Ronga, a victim’s father. 

Ronga shared what his family went through after the teacher who sexually assaulted his daughter was released years early from probation without telling the victims.

“In the end, an admitted sexual offender was offered more respect and decency by the court than the victims themselves. Then he was released from his consequences earlier than was initially promised,” said Ronga. 

Ronga explained his frustration and call for change.

“It’s critical that New Mexicans require accountability for and enforcement of the Victims Rights Act. Survivors of these deeply traumatic offenses deserve justice,” Ronga said. 

The new bill would allow victims like Ronga’s daughter to sue if they aren’t told about a defendant’s release.

“It requires that victims be given notice of scheduled proceedings at least seven days in advance so they can make arrangements to participate if they want,” said Rep. Meredith 

The second bill also adds human trafficking and battery of a health care worker to the list of offenses covered by the victims of crime act.

These two bills will be brought forward at next year’s legislative session, which begins Jan. 21.