[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H4680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        INTERNATIONAL ABDUCTION

  (Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue in my efforts to 
bring to light the problem of international child abduction. Every day 
possible I have come to the House floor to deliver a 1-minute on the 
issue and including in that 1-minute the story of an individual child. 
Today I will tell you about Benjamin Eric Roche.
  Benjamin was abducted when he was 3 years old by his mother Suzanne 
Riley and taken to Germany. Ms. Riley had physical custody of Benjamin 
at that time, but both she and his father, Mr. Ken Roche, shared joint 
custody. Under the Hague Convention, a German court ordered Benjamin to 
be returned to the United States in August of 1993.
  Mr. Roche had not heard from his ex-wife or his son until February 1, 
2000, when Ms. Riley initiated contact with him. However, since that 
contact, Mr. Roche has once again not heard from her or his son.
  Mr. Speaker, there are 10,000 other children who are in the same 
shoes as Benjamin. They have been kidnapped across international 
borders. We must continue to work to make sure that they are returned. 
We must bring our children home.

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