(MONPELIER) -- With the release of details last week about the abduction and death of 12-year-old Braintree, Vermont girl Brooke Bennett, and revelations about her accused kidnapper’s record of violent sexual abuse beginning in the 1980s, Lt. Governor Brian Dubie today renewed his call for passage of Jessica's Law, and for a thorough investigation into state's treatment of child sex offenders.

Dubie said, “I know that Vermonters everywhere feel as I do that action is required now to protect our state’s children from violent predators like those who brought young Brooke Bennett’s young life to such a tragic end.”

Dubie continued, “Today I am calling upon Vermonters to unify in memory of Brooke Bennett, and make their voices heard in Montpelier.”

Dubie listed four immediate action items that he believes the petition should require:

• A thorough investigation of Vermont's laws and policies concerning child sex offenders.
•
The adoption by Vermont’s legislature of Jessica’s Law, which among other key provisions would set a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for a convicted child sex abuser.

• Passage of a civil confinement law that would extend prison stays for certain high-risk offenders who have served their terms without successfully completing sex-offender treatment, and who are known to be likely to re-offend.

• Broadening the criteria for listing child predators on Vermont’s Online Sex Offender Registry.

"Last Thursday night,” Dubie said, “I attended a vigil in Randolph for Brooke Bennett. We had just learned that her body had been found. As I hugged her grieving mother, I thought, ‘There's something wrong here’."

In January 2006 and in May 2007 (http://ltgov.vermont.gov/press_releases), Dubie called for the enactment of Jessica’s Law and civil confinement legislation.

“I call on all Vermonters to join me in working to strengthen our laws to protect our children,” Dubie said.

He went on, "When someone dies in a plane crash, we recover the black box, and investigate thoroughly to learn what went wrong, so we can prevent the same thing from happening again. We owe nothing less to Brooke Bennett, her family, and all the children in our state."

# # #