Conveying the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of the young women murdered in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, and encouraging increased United States involvement in bringing an end to these crimes.

Bill: 108-hres-466
Sponsor: Rep. Solis, Hilda L. [D-CA-32]
Introduced: 2003-11-21 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Boundaries
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Congressional tributes
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crime prevention
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
DNA
Data banks
Diplomacy
Due process of law
Families
Health
Human rights
Identification of criminals
International cooperation
Kidnapping
Latin America
Law
Mexico
Murder
Police brutality
Political violence
Prosecution
Punishment
Rape
Science, Technology, Communications
Torture
Victims of crimes
Violence
Women
Women's organizations
Women's rights

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: 
Expresses: (1) condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the young women killed in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993, many of whom appear to be victims of one or more serial murders; and (2) the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Mexico in the face of these tragic and senseless acts.
 
Recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims' families in seeking justice for them.
 
Condemns: (1) the abductions and murders of such young women in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua; (2) the use of torture as a means of investigation into these crimes; and (3) all senseless acts of violence in all parts of the world and violence against women in particular.
 
Urges the President and Secretary of State to express: (1) concern over these abductions and murders to the Government of Mexico and to request that the investigative and preventative efforts of such Government become part of the bilateral agenda between the Governments of Mexico and the United States; and (2) support for the efforts of the victims' families to seek justice for the victims, to express concern relating to the continued harassment of these families and the human rights defenders with which they work, and to express concern with respect to impediments in the ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate information in their cases.
 
Supports multilateral efforts to create a DNA database that would allow families to positively identify the remains of the victims and encourages the Secretary to facilitate U.S. participation in such database.
 
Encourages the Secretary to: (1) include in the Department of State's annual Country Report on Human Rights all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of young women in the State of Chihuahua; and (2) urge the Government of Mexico to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings for the individuals accused of these abductions and murders and to impose appropriate punishment for those individuals subsequently determined to be guilty of such crimes.
 
Recommends that the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico visit Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua to meet with the victims' families, women's rights organizations, and Mexican Federal and State officials responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing future such crimes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2440)
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-11-21
text: Introduced in House