http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050105/REPOSITORY/501050349/1037/NEWS04WASHINGTON - Military victims of sexual assault will be able to speak in confidence with medical professionals and victims'-rights advocates for the first time under a new sexual-assault policy being developed by the Pentagon, officials announced yesterday.
The policy change, designed to persuade more victims to come forward, is one of several being instituted by the Pentagon following a series of sexual-assault scandals in Iraq and at the Air Force Academy.
The Pentagon also will establish clear, military-wide definitions of sexual assault and sexual harassment, bolster education and training about sexual-assault prevention and response, and designate a sexual-assault response coordinator at every U.S. military installation around the world. The policy will apply to all military services, as well as to military service academies and other academic institutions. snip
Victims'-advocacy groups say dozens of women serving in Iraq and Kuwait have reported being assaulted, primarily by male military colleagues. Last year, Pentagon figures showed that more than 100 service personnel in the Persian Gulf region - including Iraq and Afghanistan - reported being sexually assaulted. Military officials did not update the figures yesterday.
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