[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  VALENTINA ROSENDO CANTU

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 15, 2011

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on February 16, 2002, 17-year-old 
Valentina Rosendo Cantu was almost finished doing her washing in a 
stream when eight soldiers suddenly appeared. They beat her until she 
passed out. When Valentina came to, she was raped, not once, but twice, 
as the rest of the soldiers stood by, watching and mocking her.
  She was finally able to escape, returning home to her husband and 
three-month-old daughter, but she hasn't been able to escape from the 
memories of what happened to her.
  For the last 9 years, Valentina has been begging for these bad guys 
to be punished. Despite her tireless pursuit of justice, the Mexican 
government refuses to allow her case to be tried under civilian 
jurisdiction while the military courts have completely dropped the 
case. Valentina is not only a victim of a heinous violent crime, she is 
also a victim of the negligence of members of the Mexican government, 
and it's time for these outlaws to be brought to justice.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________