The apology was posted last week on the Peace Corps website by Director Aaron S. Williams. In the statement to Kate Puzey's family, Williams says it was never the intent of the Peace Corps to make the family feel as if they had been abandoned by the organization.
In the statement, Williams said, "Kate represented the best America has to offer the world with her dedication to her community and commitment to public service. Kate's death was a tragic loss for the Peace Corps. We continue to grieve with the Puzey family and Kate's friends. It is my sincere hope that justice is served both for Kate and her family. I would like to offer my apologies to the Puzey family if either the former leadership or the agency under my direction could have been more compassionate. Personally, it is heartbreaking to learn that they ever felt abandoned by the Peace Corps. This has never been our intent."
Williams indicated that the Peace Corps has not commented on the Puzey case, since it is still an active investigation.
The 24-year-old Puzey was found dead on the porch of her home in Benin. A fellow Peace Corps worker, Constant Bio, has been charged with her death.
File photo
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/2/235804