Congresswoman Nita Lowey (18th District - NY) Issues Press Release 12-1-2010 Lowey Intervenes on Behalf of Cerna Family

Lawmaker Urges Stiffer Sentence for Accused Murderer of Larchmont NY Native in Spain Requests Greater Assistance For Victims Family From Spanish and U.S. Governments WASHINGTON Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today sent letters to the Spanish government, the U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the case of Laura Cerna, a former resident of Larchmont , NY , who was brutally murdered in Spain on August 30, 2010. Lowey urged a more severe penalty on the accused murderer and more assistance for the family of the deceased. On August 30th, Laura Cerna was brutally murdered; her body was decapitated and dismembered, shoved into a suitcase, and dumped into the Guadalquivir River. It is outrageous that the Spanish government has arraigned this alleged murderer on the lowest charge of Basic Homicide carrying a penalty as light as 10 years for such a brutal and heinous crime, said Lowey. Justice demands a stiffer sentence, and common decency dictates that the Spanish and the United States governments should provide a greater level of assistance to the Cerna family than they have been receiving. Lowey requested Spanish Prime Minister Jos Luis Rodriguez Zapatero urge the Prosecutor to pursue the maximum punishment possible. She also urged Zapatero to ensure the Cerna family is provided the same level of legal assistance provided to Spanish victims of violent crimes since Laura Cerna lived and worked in Seville for seven years as an English professor. Lowey requested Ambassador Alan Solomont, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, to convey to the Government of Spain support for the maximum possible penalty, provide the Cerna family the support they need to navigate an unfamiliar legal process, and ensure the family receives proper legal and victims assistance from local support mechanisms. Lowey requested U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ensure the Cerna family is eligible for assistance from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), based on her U.S. citizenship despite her lack of state residency. OVC reimburses victims for crime-related expenses such as medical costs, mental health counseling, and funeral and burial costs. When an American is the victim of a crime abroad particularly one as brual as this one it is critical that the perpetrator meet a swift and strong penalty and that the family receive support and assistance in navigating victims services, said Lowey. I call on the Spanish and U.S. Governments to ensure these responsibilities are fulfilled.