Pentagon Statistics on Sexual Assault Shows Increase in Reporting
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US Senate(WASHINGTON) — Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the Pentagon’s efforts to prevent sexual assault in the military are beginning to have an impact.
Hagel said a year-long review released Thursday shows an eight-percent increase in U.S. troops reporting sexual assault, and he credits that to better efforts at curtailing retaliation.
There was also a significant drop in the estimated number of unwanted sexual contacts to 19,000 from 26,000 in 2012.
“We’re not there yet, but we will get there,” said Hagel.
“Until then we will continue working relentlessly to prevent sexual assault and we will give survivors the help and support they need,” he added.
Pentagon statistics show the number of reported sexual assaults in the military rose to nearly 6,000 in fiscal year 2014, an eight-percent increase from the previous year.
New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told reporters Thursday the report on sexual assaults shows a “failure in leadership,” in part because retaliation numbers were not lowered.
Gillibrand said the report found that “62 percent of people who have experienced sexual assault and rape are retaliated against because they reported that they were raped.”
“That is unacceptable, that is not a measure of justice,” Gillibrand added.
Gillibrand is pushing for another vote on her measure that would remove the chain of command from the prosecution of military sexual assault cases.
“If they continue to retain all decision making in the hands of the smallest number of commanders, they’re not recognizing the flaws of their own system. They’re trying to cover it up, they’re trying to shove it under the rug,” Gillibrand said.
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