[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION

  (Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today on my continued effort to 
bring to the attention of this House my deepest concern for the 
American families destroyed by cases of international child abduction.
  Today I will share with my colleagues the story of Ms. Ildiko 
Gerbatsch and her two daughters, Naomi, 13, and Isabelle, 10.
  In the summer of 1997, Naomi and Isabelle visited their father in 
Germany. At the end of the children's visit, their father failed to 
return them to their mother in the United States. After 3 years of 
legal disputes costing close to $100,000 in legal fees, the mother now 
has full custody of both children, but only on paper.
  Ms. Gerbatsch has only been allowed to visit with Naomi and Isabelle 
on three occasions. She has been mistreated by the German courts, who 
have failed to comply with the Hague Treaty.
  Madam Speaker, I come to the floor for these daily 1-minutes because 
I care about families and reuniting children and parents. Let us make 
it our duty to place pressure on countries who are Hague signatories 
and who choose not to abide by that agreement.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in spreading the message and taking a 
responsible role in bringing our children home.

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