News Summary

Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia

Dayton Daily News

Prior to and immediately following the disappearance of Walter Poirier, Peace Corps volunteers were frequently victims of crime. In a single month during 2000, two of the approximately 250 volunteers reported rapes. That's the same number of rapes that the more than 27,000 students at the University of Cincinnati reported in all of 2001.

2/17/99 — Simple assault

2/28/99 — Rape

4/4/99 — Attempted rape

4/18/99 — Aggravated assault

1/1/00 — Attempted rape

1/3/00 — Aggravated assault

3/13/00 — Aggravated assault-Volunteer abducted in taxi by man dressed as policeman.

9/16/00 — Attempted rape

10/9/00 — Rape

10/28/00 — Rape

1/20/01 — Aggravated assault. Female volunteer and cousin robbed at gunpoint. Pistol fires during robbery.

Jan. 2001 — Aggravated assault-Two volunteers abducted at gunpoint in taxi by men dressed as policemen. One volunteer beaten.*

1/31/01 — Last documented siting of Walter Poirier

2/16/01 — Death threat

3/6/01 — Walter Poirier declared missing by U.S. Ambassador

5/5/01 — Rape

5/29/01 — Minor sexual assault

6/10/01 — Aggravated assault

7/5/01 — Minor sexual assault

8/10/01 — Simple assault

10/8/01 — Minor sexual assault

12/16/01 — Rape

12/23/01 — Aggravated assault

*Not on Peace Corps database. Reported by victim, Mike Mulvaney.

Source: Dayton Daily News analysis of the Peace Corps Assault Notification Database.

[From the Dayton Daily News: 10.26.2003]