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Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011

Floor Speech

Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Foreign Affairs

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Mr. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1280, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011.

S. 1280 honors the memory of Kate Puzey. Kate, a 24-year-old Peace Corps volunteer from the state of Georgia, was murdered in 2009 while serving as a teacher in a village in the West African country of Benin.

Shortly before her death, Kate had reported that a foreign national, working under contract for the Peace Corps, had allegedly molested some of the young girls.

Kate had requested anonymity and confidentiality because the man's brother worked at the Peace Corps office.

Unfortunately Kate is not the only Peace Corps volunteer who has been victimized while serving overseas.

During the last 10 years, Peace Corps volunteers have reported an average of 22 rapes and 267 assaults per year.

Not only are these statistics far higher than the national average, according to 2008 data from the Department of Justice, but Peace Corps data suggest twice as many assaults occur than are reported.

S. 1280 provides much-needed reform of the Peace Corps to protect volunteers against sexual assault and other violent crimes and to care for victims of such crimes.

Specifically the bill provides risk-reduction and response training, a new Office of Victims Advocacy, confidential reporting, and other measures.

For the sake of the 8,655 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 77 countries around the world, representing the best of our country's values, often at great personal risk, I urge the passage of this bill.

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