Why It’s So Hard to Trust the Chain of Command in Military Sexual-Assault Cases
Ben Terris reports for The National Journal on Protect Our Defenders Communications Director Brian Purchia: “What we have here is...
Obama Vows Action After Air Force Sex-Assault Chief Charged
David Lerman reports for Bloomberg News: As the Pentagon prepared today to report as many as 26,000 sexual assaults last...
Access the DoD 2012 SAPRO Report
The Department of Defense has released its annual report on sexual assault in the military: In the 12 months prior...
Washington Post: Obama Delivers Blunt Message on Sexual Assaults in Military
Craig Whitlock reports for The Washington Post: Obama said he had instructed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel “to step up our...
Air Force Brochure Tells Sexual Assault Victims to ‘Submit’
Spencer Ackerman reports for Wired’s Danger Room on Protect Our Defenders Communications Director Brian Purchia: The brochure is “an affront...
STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Calls Pentagon Sexual Assault Report Alarming
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2013 Contact: Brian Purchia, , brian@protectourdefenders.com *** STATEMENT *** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS CALLS PENTAGON SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORT...
Bloomberg: Head of Air Force Sex Assault Prevention Arrested
David Lerman reports for Bloomberg News: Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Krusinski, 41, was arrested on May 5 in the Washington suburb...
Pentagon’s Annual Report on Sexual Assault Shows Alarming Rise
Courtney Kube and Jim Miklaszewski report for NBC News: While the report will show that the number of reported assaults...
Head of U.S. Air Force’s Anti-Sexual Assault Unit Arrested for Sexual Battery
David Alexander reports for Reuters on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “The idea that the head of the Air...
AF Sex Assault Program Chief Yanked After Groping Woman
Sig Christenson reports for the San Antonio Express-News on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “If these allegations are true,...
Courage Campaign: Join the Fight to Pass the STOP Act Here
The Courage Campaign posted on Facebook: Join the fight to pass the STOP Act.
STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Responds to Sexual Battery Arrest of Air Force’s Chief Sexual Assault Prevention Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2013 Contact Brian Purchia, , Brian@protectourdefenders.com *** STATEMENT *** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS CALLS FOR REPORTING, INVESTIGATION, ADJUDICATION OF SEXUAL...
USA Today: Military Sex Assault Monitor Accused of Sex Assault
Tom Vanden Brook reports for USA Today on Protect Our Defenders Honorary Chair Rep. Jackie Speier: “When I saw this...
ABC News: Air Force Officer Charged With Sexual Battery
Luis Martinez reports for ABC News: A lieutenant colonel who ran the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office...
Washington Post: General’s Promotion Blocked Over Her Dismissal of Sex-Assault Verdict
Craig Whitlock reports for The Washington Post on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “When commanders and those in authority...
Wired: Air Force Chief of Sexual Assault Prevention Arrested on Sexual Battery Charges
Spencer Ackerman reports for Wired on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “If these allegations are true, this is one...
Air Force Sex Assault Prevention Chief Charged in Sex Assault
Jennifer Hlad reports for Stars and Stripes on Protect Our Defenders Honorary Chair Rep. Jackie Speier: Rep. Jackie Speier, a...
WIGS Posts About Protect Our Defenders Work on Facebook
Here’s the post: “Lauren” deals with an issue that is, unfortunately, very real for some women and men. To learn...
YouTube’s WIGS Channel Draws Women to Online Video
Tirdad Derakhshani reports for The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Lauren” takes a deeply critical look at how the military hierarchy deals with...
How Troian Bellisario Went From Spencer To Lauren
ET Online reports on Troian Bellisario, who is reprising her lead role in the WIGS’ web series Lauren, a television...
Female Air Force Trainer Gets 3 Months in Jail, Rank Reduction in Lackland Sex Scandal
The Associated Press reports: A female training instructor at a Texas Air Force base has been ordered to serve three...
Protest in Tucson: an AP “Big Story”
Last week, the family of a sexual assault victim and Protect Our Defenders protested outside an Air Force Base in...
Confronting Military Sexual Trauma
Army veteran and MST survivor BriGette Mccoy writes in CL Atlanta: Why shouldn’t the military be a safe workplace? Why...
Senator Puts Hold on Helms’ Move
The Lompoc Record reports: “As the senator works to change the military justice system to better protect survivors of sexual...
Female Trainer Guilty In Lackland Scandal
Sig Christenson reports for the San Antonio Express-News: The first female basic-training instructor charged in the ongoing sexual misconduct scandal...
Editorial: Not Yet – Assault Epidemic Jeopardizes Military Recruitment
The Fayetteville Observer Editorial Board writes: Is the Defense Department doing all it can to prevent and punish rapists and...
Air Force: Former Lackland Commanders Disciplined
The Associated Press reports: A former wing commander, a former group commander and three former squadron commanders, as well as...
Local Veteran Works to Change the Military’s Response to Sexual Assault Cases
Mary Delach Leonard reports for the St. Louis Beacon on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member Terri Odom: Odom said...
Video: Military Sexual Assault Is Widespread; Focus Of Movie
ABC 13 reports on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Invisible War: “[When you’re in the military] you’re living in a man’s...
Ex-Lackland Leaders Disciplined
Sig Christenson reports for San Antonio Express-News: Charges have been brought against only one woman, Staff Sgt. Emily Allen, a...
Court-Martial Set For First Female Instructor Accused At Lackland
Eileen Pace reports for Texas Public Radio: Staff Sergeant Emily J. Allen faces a special court-martial Wednesday for alleged violations...
Servicewomen and Their War
Jeanne Jakle reports for San Antonio Express-News: “For men and women who have been sexually assaulted, or have been homeless,...
Ranking Member Smith Appoints Elizabeth Hillman to Sexual Assault Review Panel
The US House Armed Service Committee announced today: Washington D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Adam...
Lawmakers Outraged Over Sexual Assault Case Aim to Change Military Justice System
The Associated Press reports for The Patriot-News: The ability of a commanding officer to reverse a jury verdict creates a...
Daily Fitz Cartoon: Base Behavior
From The Arizona Daily Star’s cartoonist David Fitzsimmons: Last week, The Arizona Daily Star covered Protect Our Defenders’ protest...
Sen. Gillibrand: Ending the Epidemic of Sexual Assault in the Military
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand writes for PolicyMic: As Sexual Assault Awareness month comes to a close, we must commit ourselves not...
Military Sexual Assaults Cost More Than $872 Million
David Francis reports for The Fiscal Times on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “For decades, leaders in our military...
AP: Outraged Lawmakers Look to Change Military Justice
Donna Cassata reports for The Associated Press: “Our goal would be to remove all decision-making out of the chain of...
New York Times: Next Steps on Military Sexual Assaults
The New York Times Editorial Board writes: Ms. Gillibrand would leave decisions in serious military cases, including sexual assaults, to...
Punishments Don’t Fit Sex Crimes in Military, Advocate Says
Karen Nelson reports for The Sun Herald on Protect Our Defenders Communications Director Brian Purchia: “Justice for sexual assaults in...
Air Force Colonel, Exonerated By General, Faces New Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
Tod Robberson reports for Dallas Morning News: When lower-level officers and enlisted men witness misconduct by their commanders, they see...
AP: Air Force Secretary Steps Down; Led Nuclear Upgrades, Oversaw Contract, Sex Assault Scandals
Lolita Baldor reports for The Associated Press: More recently, the service has been hounded by sexual assault scandals, including an...
Reuters: U.S. Air Force Secretary Donley stepping down after almost 5 years
Andrea Shalal-Esa reports for Reuters: Earlier this month, Hagel asked Congress to eliminate the power of top commanders to alter...
Ex-Military Leader in Texas Gets Jail for Abuse
The Houston Chronicle reports: A military judge on Thursday sentenced Staff Sgt. Robert Hudson of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Hudson...
Jeremy Goulet Sparks National Debate on Sexual Assault in Military
Ricardo Navarro reports for CBS Santa Cruz on Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member Katie Weber: Webber said the problem...
GOP Senator Says Military Handling Of Rape Cases ‘Not A Serious Problem’
Paul Szoldra reports for Business Insider on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) doesn’t see a...
Calls Grow For General Who Overturned Assault Conviction To Be Fired
Bridgette P. LaVictoire reports for Lez Get Real on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: Protect Our Defenders President Nancy...
James Wilkerson: Alleged Military Rapist’s Reposting in Arizona Draws Protests
Zainab Akande reports for Policymic on Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish: “They are incentivized to sweep these cases under...
Video: Tucson Family Calls on Air Force to Remove Accused Assailant
Maggie Vespa reports for KGUN9 Tuscon on Protect Our Defenders: “It really just erodes any faith in the justice system,...
Video: Sexual Assault Victim’s Family Protests Offender’s Posting at Davis-Monthan
KVOA Tuscon reports: Read the accompanying article.