Posted on 12/04/2005 11:09:56 PM PST by nickcarraway
The 24-year-old aerobics instructor from the Ukraine looked forward to immigrating to the United States to marry a man from Sunnyvale she had met through an international matchmaking agency.
Months later she was hospitalized, her skull fractured. Police suspected her new husband. When they went to the couple's apartment one early winter morning in 2001 to question him, he drew a gun and was fatally shot by the officers.
It's impossible to know how many so-called mail-order brides are victims of domestic violence, but Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-San Jose, is concerned with what she describes as an alarming problem and wants to regulate the industry in California.
Her bill, which also would require coaching brides on how to get help if they become victims of abuse, is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday before the Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions and Consumer Protection at the State Capitol.
``There have been a number of instances where women come expecting one type of a situation, looking forward to marriage, and greater future possibilities,'' Lieber said, ``and end up being subject to domestic violence, rape and other physical abuses.''
Her bill, AB 634, would force international marriage brokers based in California to be licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs and their owners undergo criminal background checks. The proposed law would also order matchmaking agencies to teach brides (referred to as ``foreign recruits'' in the bill) how to call police, find domestic violence shelters and file restraining orders.
A similar federal bill is working its way through Congress.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
There have been a number of instances where men came expecting one type of a situation, looking forward to marriage, and greater future possibilities, and end up being subject to highway robbery.
True or False?
Not to make light of the cases of abuse. I'd just be curious to see which side was bearing the brunt of it.
it's funny that the Sunnyvale case is mentioned, the killer and I have the same name and an old co-worker added a photo of me to the story, printed it a copy, framed it, and gave it to me for my birthday. While the story is sad in and of itself, it was a damn funny gift.
One of the problems is that in their home countries, abuse is more accepted as a part of life than here. These women honestly don't know that they can get help and also worry about being deported by their new husbands if they do report them. They need to be informed that they can stay here on a special visa for victims of domestic abuse if that happens.
A welfare bill for divorce lawyers.
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