News-Story

Thomas Roberts reports for MSNBC on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member BriGette McCoy: Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and BriGette...

AUDIO: Sexual Abuse Victim Compares Military Service to Being Trapped In ‘Domestic Violence Relationship’

Joyce Hackel reports for PRI on POD Advocacy Committee member Jennifer Norris: US military leaders were summoned to the White...

Stars and Stripes: White House, Congress bear down on military sexual assault

Leo Shane III reports for Stars and Stripes: Several of the lawmakers from the last White House meeting held a...

Stars and Stripes: Obama signs off on routine changes to court-martial manual

Stars and Stripes reports: President Obama on Wednesday signed off on several changes to the Manual for Courts-Martial, including a...

Miami Herald: Obama, lawmakers tackle military sexual assault

Michael Doyle reports for the Miami Herald: The nation’s highest military appeals court already is reviewing several cases handled by...

Protect Our Defenders Working Hard to End Sexual Assault Epidemic

The past few weeks Protect Our Defenders has been working around the clock to respond to the onslaught of developments...

ABC: Legislation Aims to Strengthen Prosecution of Sexual Assaults in Military

Arlette Saenz reports for ABC on POD Advocacy Committee member Jennifer Norris: “These are tears of hope,” Jennifer Norris, who...

MSNBC: ‘Enough is enough’: Bill overhauling military sexual assault response introduced

Meredith Clark reports for MSNBC on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee member Brian Lewis: Brian Lewis, a former Navy Petty...

USA Today: Obama says sexual assault crisis hurts national security

Tom Vanden Brook and David M. Jackson report for USA TODAY: “The issue of sexual assault in our armed forces...

US Military Sexual Assault Cases Should Be Handled Outside Command Structure

Dr Brooke Magnanti writes for The Telegraph: They’ve had decades since Tailhook to sort this out. The US Congress needs...

Martin Dempsey, Joint Chiefs Chairman, Cites ‘Crisis’ Over Military Sexual Assaults

Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor report for The Huffington Post: On Capitol Hill, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., planned to...

STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Applauds Bipartisan Legislation to Reform Military Justice System

*Military sexual assault survivors and Protect Our Defenders President, Nancy Parrish are available for interviews. **If you would like remarks...

Salon: Military’s Rape Problem Hits Tipping Point for Reform

Irin Carmon reports for Salon on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: Nancy Parrish, president of Protect Our Defenders, said...

Reuters: Obama To Meet With U.S. Military Leaders About Sexual Assault

Reuters reports: President Barack Obama will meet with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other leaders of the U.S. military on...

Politico: Sexual Assault Scandal Becomes a Pentagon Test

Juana Summers, Stephanie Gaskell and Darren Samuelsohn report for Politico: “There’s been 25 years of scandal, of self-investigation by military...

THURSDAY: Lawmakers Joined By Service Members Victimized By Sexual Assault To Announce Bicameral Legislation Reforming Military Justice System

MEDIA ADVISORY Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Contact: Bethany Lesser (202) 224-3873 GILLIBRAND, COLLINS, BOXER, JOHANNS, BENISHEK, GABBARD, BEGICH, BLUMENTHAL, COONS, FRANKEN,...

Accused Sergeant Said to Get Soldier to Work as a Prostitute

Gopal Ratnam and David Lerman report for Bloomberg Businessweek: “These latest allegations of criminal behavior by yet another sexual-assault prevention...

MSNBC: Military Sexual Assault Epidemic Grows Despite Promises and Proposals

Meredith Clark reports for MSNBC: Nancy Parrish, president of Protect Our Defenders, also pointed to a need for large scale...

Reid Not Ready to Support Legislation to Crack Down on Sexual Assault in the Military

Jeremy Herb reports for The Hill on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “We are encouraged by Senator Reid’s remarks,”...

Sen. Gillibrand Leads Charge to Change Pentagon Sex-Assault Policy

Jeremy Herb reports for The Hill: Gillibrand’s bill would remove the decision to prosecute military crimes with a sentence of...

Time: Yet Another Sexual-Assault Investigation Likely to Spur Congressional Action

Mark Thompson reports for Time: Predictably, Hagel expressed “frustration, anger, and disappointment over these troubling allegations and the breakdown in...

USA Today: Suspect in Fort Hood Prostitution Ring Identified

Tom Vanden Brook reports for USA Today: The Army is investigating Sgt. 1st Class Gregory McQueen, a sexual abuse educator...

USA Today: Why the Military Hasn’t Stopped Sexual Abuse

Tom Vanden Brook and Gregg Zoroya report for USA Today: “You need an outside eye, somebody who is unbiased,” Gordon...

NBC News: U.S. Military Faces Historic Tipping Point on Rape Epidemic

Bill Briggs reports for NBC News on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “The problems are so long standing and...

Sexual Scandal Strikes Fort Hood

Sig Christenson reports for San Antonio Express-News on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “This crisis is out of control,”...

Bloomberg: Soldier Who Led Sex-Abuse Prevention Under Investigation

David Lerman reports for Bloomberg on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “These latest allegations of criminal behavior by yet...

Hagel Orders Retraining of Sex-Assault Prevention Officers; Army Sergeant Investigated

Craig Whitlock reports for The Washington Post: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday evening ordered the armed services to immediately...

STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Responds to Allegations of Criminal Behavior of Sexual Prevention Officer at Fort Hood

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2013 Contact: Brian Purchia, , brian@protectourdefenders.com  *** STATEMENT ***   PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS CALLS LATEST ALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR...

AP: Coordinator of Army Sexual Assault Prevention Office Accused of ‘Abusive Sexual Contact’

The Associated Press reports: The solider is being investigated for among other things forcing a subordinate into prostitution and sexually...

USA Today: Pentagon Investigating Ft. Hood Sergeant for Running Prostitution Ring

Tom Vanden Brook reports for USA Today: A sergeant first class in charge of sexual assault prevention at Fort Hood...

USA Today: Sexism Must Be Treated Like Racism, Top Officer Says

Tom Vanden Brook reports for USA Today on Protect Our Defenders Honorary Chair Rep. Jackie Speier: Speier said she shares...

Huffington Post: Shameful: Washington Times Column Blames Female Service Members for Assault, Calls Them Liars

Protect Our Defenders Policy Advisor Miranda Petersen writes for the Huffington Post: The bottom line is that women serving in...

Shameful: Washington Times Column Blames Female Service Members for Assault, Calls Them Liars

May 14 2013

Protect Our Defenders Policy Advisor Miranda Petersen responds to a Washington Times article that she calls “irresponsible and harmful”: Rowan...

Congress Looks to Force Change in Military on Sexual Assault

May 14 2013

Jennifer Hlad reports for Stars and Stripes on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: The current system “elevates an individual...

Hagel Open to ‘All Options’ to Deal with Military Sex Assaults

May 14 2013

Andrew Tilghman reports for Navy Times: A report last week suggested that about 26,000 troops were the victims of sexual...

Is the Pentagon Losing the War Against Sex Crimes?

Warren Olney reports for KCRW: Generals have overturned sexual assault convictions — without giving a reason. The head of Sexual...

Lawmakers Stand Squarely Behind Measure to Audit Maine Military Sex Assault Laws

Christopher Cousins reports for the Bangor Daily News: “Survivors should not fall through the cracks and offenders should not get...

Maryland Navy Veteran Calls for Presidential Action on Sexual Assaults

Alison Burns reports for Public News Service on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member Brian Lewis: “Keeping this issue in...

‘The Invisible War’ and ‘Service: When Women Come Marching Home,’ TV Reviews

Dave Hinckley reviews two documentaries about sexual assault in the military, The Invisible War and Service: While the film doesn’t blink in...

Former Army Officer and Combat Veteran Responds to Violent Marine Corps Facebook Page

A former Army Officer and Combat Veteran responds to offensive, violent and degrading Marine Corps Facebook page and calls on Marine...

Former Army Officer and Combat Veteran Responds to Violent Marine Corps Facebook Page

A former Army Officer and Combat Veteran responds to offensive, violent and degrading Marine Corps Facebook page and calls on Marine...

Neil Macdonald: The U.S. Military Surge in Sexual Assaults

Neil Macdonald reports for CBC News: “Sexual assault is a crime that has no place in the Department of Defence,”...

[Video] Arise America MST Discussion

Arise America interviews Protect Our Defenders Policy Director Miranda Peterson:

New York Times: Revisiting the Military’s Tailhook Scandal

Michael Winerip reports for the New York Times on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Members Jenny McClendon, Paula Coughlin-Puopolo, and...

Unitarian Universalists to Present “The Invisible War” Screening and Discussion June 7

Cape Gazette reports on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member Ginger Livingston: Ginger Livingston, an advocate for Protect Our Defenders,...

MSNBC: Military Sexual Assault Survivors Need More Than Sound and Fury

Melissa Harris-Perry reports for MSNBC: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Read the accompanying article.

Film Producer Spotlights The Invisible War Within U.S. Military

Jim Axelrod reports for CBS Evening News on The Invisible War: Read the interview transcript.

CNN: Female Veterans in Congress Decry Military’s Handling of Sexual Assaults