DOJ To Unveil Plan To Combat Chronic And Underreported Violence Against Native American Women
A report released last year found that there were 5,712 cases of missing and murdered indigenous girls in 2016, but only 116 of those cases were logged in a Justice Department database. The proposal includes a plan to hire coordinators across the country who would be responsible for developing protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing persons cases.
The Associated Press:
AG Barr To Unveil Plan On Missing, Murdered Native Americans
Attorney General William Barr will announce a nationwide plan on Friday to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people as concerns mount over the level of violence they face. Barr will announce the plan, known as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative, during a visit with tribal leaders and law enforcement officials on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Native American women experience some of the nation’s highest rates of murder, sexual violence and domestic abuse. (Balsamo, 11/22)
In other news from the Department of Justice —
The Washington Post:
Javaid Perwaiz: FBI Creates Hotline, Website For Potential Victims Of Needless Surgeries
In the two weeks since authorities accused Virginia gynecologist Javaid Perwaiz of performing unnecessary surgeries on women to collect insurance payments, hundreds of distraught former patients have contacted federal authorities, concerned they might be among the people who allegedly endured invasive procedures they did not want or need. (Mettler and Schmidt, 11/21)
NBC News:
U.S. Seeks More Patients Of Virginia OB/GYN Accused Of Unnecessary Surgery
The Justice Department also said current or former patients seeking their medical records should email usavae.perwaiz.medical.records@usdoj.gov with their full names and dates of service. Not all records are available, it said. "The website and the hotline are all specifically established to ensure that we're doing our very best to reach out to current and former patients regarding this case," a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office said. "We would like to hear from all current and former patients of Dr. Perwaiz." (Kosnar, 11/21)
