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“NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN'S DAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E881-E882 on May 22, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN'S DAY
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HON. JIM RAMSTAD
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, May 22,1996
Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Missing Children's Day May 25, and ask that my colleagues and the entire Nation remember the 1 million children reported missing in the United States.
Every State in our Nation has experienced the tragedy of a child heartlessly taken from family, friends, and the community at the hands of a kidnapper. In my home State of Minnesota, the community of St. Joseph continues to struggle and tries to understand the abduction of Jacob Wetterling, a healthy, happy child who this year would have graduated with the rest of his classmates at Apollo High School in St. Cloud.
Jacob Wetterling was abducted in 1989. Since his tragic disappearance, Jacob's family and friends have reminded us that life can be dramatically changed in a matter of moments. They remind us that even the seemingly most peaceful town can face tragedy of massive proportions. They remind us that every community in every State has a responsibility to offer safety and protection to its children.
Jacob's family and friends have shown their commitment to Jacob and other children by establishing the Jacob Wetterling Foundation. The foundation works tirelessly to promote child safety, support families, and search for missing children.
The Jacob Wetterling Foundation played an essential role in my efforts to enact Federal legislation to address the horrendous epidemic of sexual crimes against children.
Fully two-thirds of the nonfamily child abduction cases reported to police involve sexual assault. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that 74 percent of imprisoned child sex offenders had one or more prior convictions for a sexual offense against a child. Another study found that those who prey on young boys commit an average of 281 acts of molestation.
According to the Department of Justice, over 100,000 children are targets of attempted abductions each year. Thankfully, most attempts are unsuccessful, but thousands like Jacob tragically disappear.
That's why the Wetterling Foundation and Jacob's parents, Patty and Jerry Wetterling, worked tirelessly to help me pass the 1994 Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Registration Act.
The Wetterling Act provides for the registration of convicted child sex offenders and violent sexual predators. This national requirement was needed because of the propensity of these offenders to repeat their heinous crimes again and again after their release from prison. Some States--like my home State of Minnesota--already provided for sex offender registration, but many offenders simply moved to another State and avoided detection and registration.
The children of America and their families needed the Wetterling Act to protect them from those who prey on children. Every major law enforcement organization asked for it as a resource for investigating child abduction and molestation cases.
Until recently, law enforcement was simply allowed to notify the community when dangerous child sexual offenders were released and living in the community. Congress recently passed Megan's law, which will require community notification. This is good news for America's children and families.
Mr. Speaker, May 25 is National Missing Children's Day. Jacob's family and friends, the people of St. Joseph and all Minnesotans will remember Jacob Wetterling and other children who have been abducted. The Wetterling Foundation has asked Minnesotan to leave their front porch lights glowing for National Missing Children's Day. These porch lights represent hope that Jacob and the other missing children will be found and returned home safely. They also represent a brighter future where children can be free from worry and fear because they are part of a community that makes child safety and protection the single most important priority.
I invite the citizens of every State in the Nation to join my fellow Minnesotans in leaving on their porch lights. Leave your lights on for Jacob Wetterling and the million other children who are still missing. Let them know we love them and will never stop looking for them.
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