Jaycee Dugard To Receive $20 Million

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SAN FRANCISCO (GaeaTimes.com)- Keeping aside its current budget crisis, the lawmakers of the state of California did not act miserly while approving the $20 million payout to Jaycee Dugard the Kidnap victim who was held as a virtual sex slave by a convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido for 18 years. The amount would be paid to the victim after the bill that has been approved now by both the Houses of the Legislature is signed by the Governor of the state Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor is due to sign the bill.

On Thursday after the lawmakers passed the bill, a joint statement was issued by Department of Justice and Jaycee Dugard which said that the $20 million will help the victim and her children unite with their family and receive treatments and services to come out of the traumatic experience in an environment where they would not be haunted by press scrutiny. The Bill was overwhelmingly supported by both the Senate and the State Assembly.

Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped back in 1991 from South Lake Tahoa when she was just 11 years old. She was held captive for 18 years at the backyard of Phillip Garrido’s Antioch compound. She was allegedly raped by Phillip Garrido during this period and also bore him two children who are now aged 12 and 15. Jaycee Dugard was discovered last August at the backyard of Phillip Garrido’s house. Investigation carried out after the discovery found that the parole officer of Phillip Garrido had missed several opportunities to find the lady in the sex offender’s house. In February Jaycee Dugard and her family filed complaint against California Department of Corrections mentioning that it is for the “various lapses” of the agency that the Jaycee Dugard and her family had to suffer “psychological, physical and emotional injury”.