[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 125 (Monday, September 24, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5966-H5967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RECOVERY AND RETURN OF LUDWIG 
                                 KOONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Hart). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to let my colleagues know of 
my introduction of a concurrent resolution in support of the United 
States Government becoming actively involved in the recovery and return 
of Ludwig Koons, a boy who was abducted to Italy by his mother.
  Ludwig, son of Jeffrey Koons, an award-winning, internationally 
renowned artist, was abducted to Italy by his mother, Ilona Staller, on 
June 9, 1994. Mr. Koons has filed a petition against the Republic of 
Italy with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and a 
preliminary decision regarding the admissibility of this petition is 
expected to be issued by the

[[Page H5967]]

court in October 2001. I have respectfully requested that both the U.S. 
Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State file briefs in 
the European Court of Human Rights supporting Mr. Koons' petition, 
pursuant to article 36 of the Convention for the Protection of Human 
Rights of the Council of Europe, which states the United States has a 
right to intervene in proceedings before the European court in 
Strasbourg, promoted by its citizens seeking relief from human rights 
violations.
  On May 29, 2001, Mrs. Staller was convicted in Italy for kidnapping 
their minor son, Ludwig, from his family residence in New York on June 
9, 1994. In addition, with a judgment dated May 31, 2001, this year, 
Mrs. Staller was found guilty by the Rome Tribunal of repeated acts of 
defamation through the media against Mr. Koons. The delays of the 
Italian judicial authorities in finding Mrs. Staller guilty of 
international child kidnapping were instrumental in allowing the mother 
to retain custody of Ludwig in Italy illegitimately.
  Authorities have not taken into consideration the judgment of divorce 
entered by the New York Supreme Court, which had exclusive jurisdiction 
to decide the parties' custody dispute. The decision of the Italian 
judicial authorities to prohibit Ludwig, a native American citizen, 
from exercising his right of access to the United States, even for 
temporary visits, in order to maintain meaningful relations with his 
father and his paternal family is in violation of international 
principles of law and treaties to the detriment of a U.S. minor.
  My resolution states that the United States should request that the 
Italian Republic immediately return Ludwig Maximilian Koons to the 
custody of the father in the United States as established by the 
judgment of divorce in the Supreme Court of New York of December 9, 
1994. Pending a final decision by the Republic of Italy regarding the 
permanent return of Ludwig to the United States, the United States 
should also request that Italy authorize Ludwig to visit his father in 
his New York residence on a temporary basis.
  As an American citizen, Ludwig has a right to preserve his identity, 
his nationality, and his family relations and to be raised by the 
parent who can best assure him a sound and healthy environment.

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