2011.01.31: January 31, 2011: Representative Ted Poe says Congress is going to investigate Peace Corps treatment of sexual assault victims
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Benin:
Peace Corps Benin :
Peace Corps Benin: Newest Stories:
2011.01.14: January 14, 2011: Report by ABC News 20/20: Parents of Slain Volunteer Kate Puzey Say Peace Corps Error Led to Murder:
2006.12.01: December 1, 2006: PCOL Editorial: The Peace Corps Needs a Procedure in Place for Death Notifications to the Families of Volunteers who have Died in Service to ease the Suffering and Pain of the Grieving Process of the Volunteer's Survivors and Families :
2011.01.31: January 31, 2011: Representative Ted Poe says Congress is going to investigate Peace Corps treatment of sexual assault victims
Representative Ted Poe says Congress is going to investigate Peace Corps treatment of sexual assault victims
"The Peace Corps needs to get its act together and make sure the victims of rape have peace of mind when they are serving the United States," Poe said. Poe said that he will be their advocate in Washington. "The cavalry is coming," he said. In the letter asking for the hearing, Poe called the Peace Corps' alleged treatment of the women "gross negligence in caring for its volunteers abroad." "The Peace Corps did not adequately protect its volunteers, bring U.S. resources to bear on any criminal investigation, nor provide proper care for the victims in the aftermath," Poe wrote. Poe cited the experience of Jess Smochek of Pennsylvania, who was interviewed by ABC News as part of the 20/20 report. Smochek, now 29, joined the Peace Corps in 2004 and was sent to Bangladesh. Just four months after arriving she was gang raped. Smochek said she felt the Peace Corps tried to cover up what happened to her. "I have three daughters about Jess's age. They want to save the world too," said Rep. Poe. "People like Jess are the salt of the earth and it's just horrible our government doesn't stand beside them." On Monday, Poe dedicated his daily one-minute House Floor speech to Smochek, using information he learned from the 20/20 report. "According to ABC News," said Poe, "over 1,000 rapes and assaults occurred in the last 10 years against American women working for the Peace Corps, but apparently no one is listening. Those days need to end, and it's time for justice for Jess Smochek, because justice is what we do in this country. And that's just the way it is."
Representative Ted Poe says Congress is going to investigate Peace Corps treatment of sexual assault victims
Rep. Ted Poe: Congress to investigate Peace Corps treatment of sexual assault victims
Monday, January 31, 2011
By: The State Column
Rep. Ted Poe released the following statement:
In the wake of an ABC News "20/20″ investigation, a Congressional committee announced plans for hearings on the Peace Corps' handling of more than a thousand cases of female volunteers who were raped or sexually assaulted over the last decade. "This is very upsetting. If these numbers are accurate this is something that Congress definitely should investigate," Rep. Rohrabacher, R-California, Chairman of the House subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, told ABC News.
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, called for the hearing Wednesday, telling ABC News he was "furious and sad" after watching the "20/20″ report.
In the report, six former Peace Corps volunteers and victims of sexual assault recounted the attacks against them. Most of the women said within the Peace Corps there was a culture of blaming the victim, and that they felt they had no advocate in Washington to help cut through red tape to get counseling.
"The Peace Corps needs to get its act together and make sure the victims of rape have peace of mind when they are serving the United States," Poe said.
Poe said that he will be their advocate in Washington. "The cavalry is coming," he said.
In the letter asking for the hearing, Poe called the Peace Corps' alleged treatment of the women "gross negligence in caring for its volunteers abroad."
"The Peace Corps did not adequately protect its volunteers, bring U.S. resources to bear on any criminal investigation, nor provide proper care for the victims in the aftermath," Poe wrote.
Poe cited the experience of Jess Smochek of Pennsylvania, who was interviewed by ABC News as part of the 20/20 report. Smochek, now 29, joined the Peace Corps in 2004 and was sent to Bangladesh. Just four months after arriving she was gang raped. Smochek said she felt the Peace Corps tried to cover up what happened to her.
"I have three daughters about Jess's age. They want to save the world too," said Rep. Poe. "People like Jess are the salt of the earth and it's just horrible our government doesn't stand beside them."
On Monday, Poe dedicated his daily one-minute House Floor speech to Smochek, using information he learned from the 20/20 report.
"According to ABC News," said Poe, "over 1,000 rapes and assaults occurred in the last 10 years against American women working for the Peace Corps, but apparently no one is listening. Those days need to end, and it's time for justice for Jess Smochek, because justice is what we do in this country. And that's just the way it is."
"Although I was surprised to find out Congressman Poe chose to speak about me during his floor speech on Monday," Smochek told ABC News, "I am glad that the '20/20′ piece has finally brought this very important issue of Peace Corps negligence of sexual assault and rape victims to the attention of Congress.
"I fully support an oversight hearing in hopes of finally holding the Peace Corps accountable for what it has done to volunteers who are survivors of such trauma, such as myself," she said.
Casey Frazee, an advocate for Peace Corps volunteer victims of rape and sexual assault, teamed up with Smochek to meet with members of Congress in December, before the "20/20″ story aired. That meeting, which members of Poe's staff attended, resulted in a letter to Peace Corps director Aaron Williams urging change. It wasn't until after the "20/20″ report that Poe, who was not present for the December meeting, demanded a formal investigation.
"We had heard some rumblings, we had had some correspondence with some victims of crime, but the magnitude of the problem was only brought out thanks to ABC News," Poe said.
Frazee also appeared in the ABC News report, recounting her experience of sexual assault in South Africa and the Peace Corps' response.
"I want [Peace Corps] to create effective, sustainable policies for training, response and treatment for sexual violence," Frazee said. Frazee's advocacy group, First Response Action, has been in contact with dozens of volunteer victims of sexual assault.
In a statement to ABC News, Peace Corps Director Williams said the agency had "made significant improvements over the past two years in providing support to sexual assault victims."
"We look forward to working with Congress to further strengthen the Peace Corps and advance our mission of world peace and friendship," said Williams.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: January, 2011; Crime; Women's Issues; Congress
When this story was posted in February 2011, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| How Volunteers Remember Sarge As the Peace Corps' Founding Director Sargent Shriver laid the foundations for the most lasting accomplishment of the Kennedy presidency. Shriver spoke to returned volunteers at the Peace Vigil at Lincoln Memorial in September, 2001 for the Peace Corps 40th. "The challenge I believe is simple - simple to express but difficult to fulfill. That challenge is expressed in these words: PCV's - stay as you are. Be servants of peace. Work at home as you have worked abroad. Humbly, persistently, intelligently. Weep with those who are sorrowful, Care for those who are sick. Serve your wives, serve your husbands, serve your families, serve your neighbors, serve your cities, serve the poor, join others who also serve," said Shriver. "Serve, Serve, Serve. That's the answer, that's the objective, that's the challenge." |
| Support Independent Funding for the Third Goal The Peace Corps has always neglected the third goal, allocating less than 1% of their resources to "bringing the world back home." Senator Dodd addressed this issue in the "Peace Corps for the 21st Century" bill passed by the US Senate and Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter proposed a "Peace Corps Foundation" at no cost to the US government. Both are good approaches but the recent "Comprehensive Assessment Report" didn't address the issue of independent funding for the third goal at all. |
| Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: The State Column
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Crime; Women's Issues; Congress
PCOL46661
56