Reuters: Senate panel backs change to military sexual assault prosecution
Reuters reports:
WASHINGTON – A U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday approved a controversial plan to improve the military’s handling of sexual assault cases, backing draft legislation that would let prosecutors, rather than a victim’s commander, decide if a sex offense should go to trial.
The proposal was one of a dozen sexual assault-related measures endorsed by the personnel panel of the Senate Armed Services Committee for inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual legislation that sets policy for the U.S. military.
Approval of the proposal set the stage for a battle over the issue, which is opposed by senior defense officials, as the legislation makes its way through the full Armed Services Committee and then the entire Senate in the coming weeks.
