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For release immediately:
Media Contact:
Mrs. Claudia P. Krehbiel
706 Southshore Parkway
Durham, NC 27703
919-302-3479
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Durham Judge Ignores Kidnappings and International Terrorism
Durham, North Carolina – September 4, 2007 – Judge Craig B. Brown recently decided to force an innocent eleven-year-old boy to travel against his will to Colombia, despite rampant kidnappings and international terrorism there.
An official U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Warning is in effect for Colombia. Colombia is rife with kidnapping, narco-terrorism, guerilla warfare and general lawlessness. Malaria and other deadly tropical diseases are prevalent in much of the country.
After hearing testimony from a former FBI agent and a Colombian army colonel and former DAS (FBI) agent that travel to Colombia would be life-threatening for Alejandro Ramirez, age eleven, Judge Brown nonetheless ordered the boy to visit his estranged, abusive and non-supportive biological father in Colombia.
Colonel Homero Rodriguez of the Colombian army and DAS testified that travel to Colombia would put Alejandro at grave risk of kidnapping by guerillas or others because he is from a well-known U.S. family. The Colombian FARC is an international terrorist organization with ties to both Al Queda and the IRA. Kidnappings are a major source of funding for the terrorists. Just last week, three visiting Portuguese children were kidnapped by terrorists in Colombia.
Judge Brown announced his decision mid-way through a trial being held in family court. Without hearing all of the evidence, the judge announced his verdict via a newspaper interview he granted to reporter John Stevenson of the Durham Herald-Sun Newspaper. The newspaper article identified the boy by name, thus recklessly endangering him even more in both Colombia and the U.S. In granting the interview with Mr. Stevenson, Judge Brown was seeking some cheap publicity for himself and had no compunction about recklessly endangering an eleven-year-old to get it.
Alejandro’s mother, Claudia P. Krehbiel, said “Our expert witnesses at the trial have many years of law enforcement experience in Colombia. They testified that Colombia is very dangerous, particularly for a kid like Alejandro. I am amazed at Judge Brown’s reckless decision in this case. Nothing should warrant risking a kid’s life like this. I don’t understand why the judge and the Herald-Sun would deliberately identify him by name in a newspaper article and thereby endanger him even more. Certainly, the judge knew about the international aspect of the terrorism when he granted the interview with Mr. Stevenson and called attention to the case. Judge Brown has no right to gamble with my kid’s life.”
Reputable witnesses also testified that the biological father has threatened, on more than one occasion, to kidnap the boy if he is forced to return to Colombia. Judge Brown ignored the testimony about these threats as well.
In a subsequent interview, the Herald-Sun’s Stevenson confirmed directly with the boy that he is fearful of the danger in Colombia and has no interest in visiting there. Stevenson’s interview with the eleven-year-old was published on Monday, August 27.
Alejandro’s mother, Claudia P. Krehbiel, has written to Congressman David Price to request that he introduce federal legislation to bar any judge from ordering a child out of the U.S. to a dangerous foreign country for which there is an official U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Warning in effect. Such a law would save Alejandro, and, perhaps, many other children from being endangered. Mrs. Krehbiel hopes that the U.S. Congress will view this proposed legislation as non-controversial and as a worthwhile protection for innocent children. She is seeking support for her proposal from several national organizations.
Alejandro and his mother are legal unconditional permanent U.S. residents. Alejandro has lived with his mother, stepfather and grandmother in Durham for several years. He is an honors student in the Durham public schools. Alejandro’s mother is a graduate student at Meredith College in Raleigh. Alejandro’s stepfather, Allan L. Krehbiel, is a U.S. citizen by birth and a Durham area businessman.
The Concerned Mothers of Durham, an organization formed to protect children, has established a legal defense fund for endangered kids like Alejandro. The address for donations is Concerned Mothers, P.O. Box 51183, Durham, NC 27717-1183.
Contacts:
Mrs. Claudia P. Krehbiel
706 Southshore Parkway
Durham, NC 27703
919-302-3479
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
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