Orrin Hatch: “I rise to introduce the Carjacking Correction Act of 1996. This bill adds an important clarification to the Federal…”

“I rise to introduce the Carjacking Correction Act of 1996. This bill adds an important clarification to the Federal carjacking statute, which is to provide that a rape committed during a carjacking should be considered a serious bodily injury. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Biden. He has long been a leader in addressing the threat of violence against women, and our partnership in enacting the Violence Against Women Act is evidence of strong bipartisan outrage at every incident of assault or domestic violence. This correction to the law is necessitated by the fact that at least one court has held that under the Federal carjacking statute, rape would not constitute a serious bodily injury. Few crimes are as brutal, vicious, and harmful to the victim than rape. Yet, under this interpretation, the sentencing enhancement for such injury may not be applied to a carjacker who brutally rapes his victim. In my view, Congress should act now to clarify the law in this regard. The bill we introduce today would do this by specifically including rape as serious bodily injury under the statute. I urge my colleagues to support swift passage of this bill.”