Sexual assault an unseen foe for US troops
May 1st, 2011 - 6:30 pm ICT by ANIWashington, May 1 (ANI): Sexual assault poses ‘intolerable’ threat to US military troops, amid poor record of reporting and prosecution, a broad survey finds.
According to the Christian Science Monitor (CSM), the survey reveals that sexual assault in the military affects about 19 percent of female troops and two percent of males.
Released last month, the survey of Air Force personnel found that “less than 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men” filed a formal report after their most recent sexual assault.Half of the female airmen who reported being raped said they chose not to report the attack for “fear of being treated badly” or because they “did not want to cause trouble” in their unit.
Nearly a third said they did not trust the reporting process.
Top military officials acknowledge the need for change. “This crime threatens our people, and for that reason alone it is intolerable and incompatible with who and what we are,” said General Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff.
Representatives Niki Tsongas (Democrat -Massachusetts) and Mike Turner (Republican-Ohio) have proposed legislation to address the crime and to encourage more victims to come forward.
The bill ensures that conversations between assaulted service members and victim advocates remain confidential. Currently, those conversations can be subpoenaed.
The bill also calls for more training of sexual assault response coordinators, or SARCs, and requires them to hold full-time Defense Department positions, not be hired as contractors. (ANI)
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