Statement from State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan on New State Legislation for Domestic Violence and The Anniversary of Anastasia Paul’s Passing
Bailey, Samantha
For IMMEDIATE Release Contact: Samantha Bailey
Friday, July 17, 2026 samanth...@cga.ct.gov, 860-240-8565
Statement from State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan on New State Legislation for Domestic Violence and The Anniversary of Anastasia Paul’s Passing
“Three years ago, Anastasia Paul's life was stolen in an act of unimaginable violence. As the Vernon community gathers this week to honor her memory, my heart is with her family, her loved ones, and every survivor who sees part of their own story in hers.
No sentence will ever bring Anastasia back. No courtroom outcome can erase the pain her family has carried every single day for the past three years.
When we began working on domestic violence reform following the murder of Emily Todd in Bethel, we started by asking difficult questions about sentencing and accountability. Like many families, we wanted to know whether our laws were doing enough. But as we worked with advocates, prosecutors, the Judicial Branch, law enforcement, and the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, we uncovered an even deeper problem.
The truth is, Connecticut couldn't answer some of the most basic questions about domestic violence cases because the data simply didn't exist. Cases were tracked in pieces, across agencies, with no way to follow them from arrest through sentencing, incarceration, and parole. Without that information, we couldn't fully understand where the system was succeeding, where it was failing, or how to prevent the next tragedy.
That is why I introduced and passed bipartisan legislation creating Connecticut's first statewide domestic violence case-tracking system.
Because every victim deserves more than our thoughts and prayers. Every tragedy should leave us wiser. Every life lost should make our system stronger.
This law will not erase the grief felt by Anastasia's family or by Emily's family. But it is a promise that their loved ones will not be forgotten that Connecticut will learn from these cases, identify systemic gaps, strengthen accountability, and continue building a justice system that better protects survivors.
I am grateful to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, survivors, advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, members of the judiciary, and the many families who turned unimaginable loss into meaningful reform. This legislation belongs to all of them.
Next week, we will gather in Bethel to mark this important step forward. It is not a celebration that our work is finished. It is a recommitment to the work that remains.
Today, we stand with the Vernon community. We stand with Anastasia's family. And we recommit ourselves to building a Connecticut where fewer families have to endure this unimaginable pain.
May Anastasia's memory continue to inspire action.”
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Samantha Bailey (She/Her/Hers)
Press Aide | Connecticut House Democrats
Cell: (860) 559-4540
Office: (860) 240-8565
Contact for: Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan | Rep. Andre Baker | Rep. Patrick Boyd | Rep. Eilish Collins Main | Rep. Dave DeFronzo | Rep. Hubert Delany | Rep. Geoff Luxenberg | Rep. Kara Rochelle |Rep. Iris Sanchez | Rep. Kaitlyn Shake
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