Thursday, June 23, 2011

Isakson, Poe Introduce ‘Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011’

Legislation Named After Georgia Peace Corps Volunteer Murdered in Africa

WASHINGTON –  U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and U.S. Congressman Ted Poe, R-Texas, today hosted a news conference to announce the introduction of legislation to provide better security and protection measures for Peace Corps volunteers.  They were joined by Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Congressmen Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Sam Farr, D-Calif.

Isakson and Poe introduced the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 in both the Senate and House. The legislation is named in honor of Kate Puzey, a 24-year-old Peace Corps volunteer from Cumming, Ga., who was murdered in 2009 in the West African village of Badjoude, Benin, soon after she had reported a colleague for allegedly molesting some of the young girls they taught.

Isakson serves as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on African Affairs on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Poe serves on the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“Today is a very special day. I am deeply honored to introduce legislation in honor of Kate Puzey, a great young American who went to Africa to teach children and serve those in need,” said Isakson. “The sacrifice of Kate Puzey’s life demands that we provide every Peace Corps volunteer with the security and protection necessary to carry out their job. I believe that this legislation will go long way in achieving this goal.”

Isakson first became involved in the Kate Puzey case in 2009 when he read about her murder in a Georgia newspaper and subsequently attended her funeral. Since then, Isakson has worked with the Puzey family to bring justice to Kate’s murderer and to pass legislation to provide better protection for Peace Corps volunteers.

Three weeks ago, Isakson traveled to Africa where he met with President Boni Yayi of Benin to seek justice in the Puzey case. In their 2.5 hour meeting, Isakson urged President Yayi to allow the FBI to assist in the murder investigation and he hand delivered a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterating the importance the United States places on the Puzey case.

The legislation introduced today, named in honor of Puzey, provides whistleblower protection for Peace Corps volunteers, a safeguard that is currently in place for federal employees but not for Peace Corps volunteers. This type of protection would have given Puzey more protection when she reported her allegations.

In addition, it requires the Peace Corps to develop sexual assault risk-reduction and response training and protocol in consultation with experts that complies with best practices in the sexual assault field. The training also is to be tailored to the specific countries in which volunteers serve.