October 27, 2003 - Dayton Daily News: Pattern of violence - Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia in 2001

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: October 26, 2003: Dayton Daily News reports on Peace Corps Safety and Security: Archive of Primary Source Stories: October 27, 2003 - Dayton Daily News: Pattern of violence - Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia in 2001

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-165-54.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.165.54) on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 2:34 pm: Edit Post

Pattern of violence - Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia in 2001



Pattern of violence - Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia in 2001

Pattern of violence

Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia

Dayton Daily News

Prior to and immediately following the disappearance of Walter Poirier, Peace Corps volunteers were frequently victims of crime. In a single month during 2000, two of the approximately 250 volunteers reported rapes. That's the same number of rapes that the more than 27,000 students at the University of Cincinnati reported in all of 2001.

2/17/99 — Simple assault

2/28/99 — Rape

4/4/99 — Attempted rape

4/18/99 — Aggravated assault

1/1/00 — Attempted rape

1/3/00 — Aggravated assault

3/13/00 — Aggravated assault-Volunteer abducted in taxi by man dressed as policeman.

9/16/00 — Attempted rape

10/9/00 — Rape

10/28/00 — Rape

1/20/01 — Aggravated assault. Female volunteer and cousin robbed at gunpoint. Pistol fires during robbery.

Jan. 2001 — Aggravated assault-Two volunteers abducted at gunpoint in taxi by men dressed as policemen. One volunteer beaten.*

1/31/01 — Last documented siting of Walter Poirier

2/16/01 — Death threat

3/6/01 — Walter Poirier declared missing by U.S. Ambassador

5/5/01 — Rape

5/29/01 — Minor sexual assault

6/10/01 — Aggravated assault

7/5/01 — Minor sexual assault

8/10/01 — Simple assault

10/8/01 — Minor sexual assault

12/16/01 — Rape

12/23/01 — Aggravated assault

*Not on Peace Corps database. Reported by victim, Mike Mulvaney.

Source: Dayton Daily News analysis of the Peace Corps Assault Notification Database.

[From the Dayton Daily News: 10.26.2003]



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Story Source: Dayton Daily News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Investigative Journalism; COS - Bolivia

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By Jean (cache-ra07.proxy.aol.com - 152.163.252.7) on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 2:22 pm: Edit Post

What is being done about these crimes? Has the Percentage gone up since then?

By daniel (0-1pool136-61.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.61) on Monday, January 19, 2004 - 9:31 am: Edit Post

Nothing substantial Jean. That is why Peace Corps is silent about pairing volunteers together for safety purposes. Victims of violence are not being helped that is volunteers who are raped, threatened as an American citizen and Peace Corps volunteer, and assaulted. If anything we reamin back at home not working because of that experience and have a hard time finding work in the governmental sector. For the families who have lost loved ones, no memorial is provided at Peace Corps or provided to the Families of these victims. The Peace Corps covers up the numbers and covers up service records of these former volunteers. It took the Dayton Daily news going to court for some of these safety breech stories and had to fight Peace Corps for information regarding these issues. On me, they have twelve pages under so called National Security and won't release them so they can cover up my case. They know I will have to get a three hundred dollar an hour attorney to get my case reversed.

The fact is they cover up these incidents so even today the numbers will be underreported.

The Investigation above relating to Walter Poirier is a complete tragedy. The Peace Corps and public Officials should do more to investigate his disappearance.

On this web site two women have written about their rapes in Bolivia. One was basically blamed for it. Peace Corps continues this mentality of blame the victim and cover up in these cases.

These are the hard facts Jean.


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