Serena Parisi didn’t expect to become an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse. But when she turned 17, she told her therapist that she had been abused by a trusted male in her life. The abuse started when she was 11 and continued for three years, she shared with her family soon after.
With the help of her mother, Jennifer, Serena decided to pursue legal action against her abuser, eventually securing a permanent injunction against him. “A lot of people don’t understand the magnitude of a restraining order—it was harder to get than most people would assume,” Serena, who is now 21, says. “You lose your Second Amendment right when you have a permanent injunction for protection of a minor.”
But they soon realized the injunction wasn’t enough. It turned out, permanent restraining orders were not public records in the state of Florida, which means even deep background checks would miss these red flags. The family learned the abuser was still able to obtain volunteer positions at local children’s organizations despite his documented history of sexual abuse against a minor.
Philanthropy runs in the Parisi family’s DNA. Serena’s grandparents are longtime supporters of Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), and her mom is entrenched with Lee Health and The Everglades Foundation. “At family dinners, we’d talk a lot about philanthropy,” Jennifer says. “My parents would spend a lot of time talking to my kids about NCEF—what it did, the children’s organizations it helped fund, what it stood for.” Since they were young, Jennifer made it a point to expose her kids to the needs in the community. She would take them to Golisano Children’s Hospital during the holidays to support kids battling life-threatening illnesses, and they’d raise money for scholarships and fundraise at school.
Serena couldn’t stomach the thought that her attacker could harm another kid—especially a vulnerable child being helped by a nonprofit. So, three years ago, she set out on a mission to create a bill that would make these restraining orders part of public record, with the help of attorney and lobbyist Zachary Lombardo. Serena’s Law, as it was named, passed and went into effect this summer.
Thanks to the law, abusers won’t be able to hide these injunctions, and organizations have more pertinent information to determine whether someone is suited to work with at-risk children. It also means you can find out whether the person you’re going on a date with has a sordid past.
Serena says the experience has gotten her thinking about what she’d like to tackle in the future. Currently a junior at the University of Miami, she is pursuing a major in psychology, and also considers a career in law or advocacy work. No matter her track, she will continue to help survivors gain the courage to share their stories and find a community that can help them to heal. “A lot of people will say the wrong things, but there are a lot of people who understand and will listen, so go toward those people,” she says. —K.G.