Military Sexual Assault Reports Up 40 Pct.

[Judi Lynn]

Military Sexual Assault Reports Up 40 Pct.
Sexual Assault Reports in the Military Increased by Nearly 40 Percent in 2005

By LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON Mar 17, 2006 (AP)— Reports of sexual assaults in the military increased by nearly 40 percent last year, the Pentagon announced Thursday, saying the increase was at least partly due to a new program that encourages victims to come forward.

According to a report released Thursday, there were 2,374 allegations of sexual assaults reported during 2005, compared to 1,700 in 2004. Of last year's reports, 435 were initially filed under a new program that allows victims to report the incident and receive health care or counseling services but does not notify law enforcement or commanders.

The restricted, confidential reporting program also allows the victims to consider pursuing an investigation later, and that was done in 108 of the 435 cases during 2005. Until that new policy went into effect last June, an investigation was automatically triggered by a sexual assault report.

"This is the most underreported crime in our society," said Roger Kaplan, a Pentagon spokesman. "The key, at least in the military, is to make it less. We want victims to have treatment. And the more who come forward, the better chance we have of taking action and getting the offenders off the street."
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1736781&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[Virginia Dare]

1. If this is happening to our own soldiers at this rate...

what the hell is happening to the citizens of Iraq?

[Karenina]

3. I wish EVERY AMERICAN

would ask her/himself that very question.

[LisaLynne]

2. This is really sickening.

I just have no words sometimes.

[habitual]

4. So, They Are Saying

that is has been happening all along, they just didn't have any means for the victim to actually do anything about it before. And this new system seems quite suspect:

"Of last year's reports, 435 were initially filed under a new program that allows victims to report the incident and receive health care or counseling services but does not notify law enforcement or commanders."

I don't get it??? I understand and appreciate the health care and counseling, but what of the not notifying law enforcement or commanders? Are they saying that they really have no way of stopping these people from retaliating against the victim if the victim claims a case... That seems RIDICULOUS

[stillcool]

7. What is ridiculous is the fact that safeguards...

are not in place to protect these women. A war zone is not a sane environment, and brutal anti-social behavior should be expected...if one were to learn anything from past experience.

[MadMaddie]

8. The military tries to shut the women up and try to lay blame on

the women...most of the women know this....I am willing to bet that the actual number of rates is 2 to 3 times more but many go unreported.

The commanders do not want the bad publicity!!

[Sparkman]

5. The U.S. military make up our BEST, our FINEST. Cluster Bombs & DU rounds

are NOT A PROBLEM for the U.S. miltary personell and for their civilian enablers.
DESTROYING a civilization, the ORIGINAL AMERICANS, or the IRAQI way of life, was not a problem for the U.S. I like to refer cheerleaders to Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Martin Luther King, Malcom X, and Ghandi. Jesus didn't seem to sink in, he is the most studied writer in AMERICA, and we torture, execute, invade, rape, steal, with the largest prison population anywhere.
Semper Fi

[951-Riverside]

6. They are under alot of stress and just following orders

:sarcasm:

[EFerrari]

9. Puts "don't ask, don't tell" in an entirely new light, doesn't it?

If it's hard for women to come forward, it must be impossible for gay men.

[TomInTib]

10. I think the part that bothers me most is that 15% of victims..

fall under a treatment program that sidesteps law enforcement and command.

I wonder how many prosecutions have taken place?

On edit - There were 274 convictions, a rate of 11.5% - pathetic.