Maritime Executive Op-Ed: Combatting Sexual Assault in the Military
Denise Krepp, who testified at the Military Sexual Assault Crimes Response hearing on Capitol Hill on January 30, 2014 writes an op-ed for the Maritime Executive:
Lastly, the military must change the current decision-making process for sexual assault prosecutions. Senator Gillibrand has introduced legislation that takes that authority away from the current chain of command and places it with independent, trained, professional military prosecutors. The current process isn’t working. Victims don’t trust the chain of command. They are not reporting the crimes, and the crimes that are being reported aren’t being fully prosecuted. Changing the process will increase prosecutions and improve trust.
It is my hope that other veterans will join me in speaking out against sexual assault and misconduct. This scourge shouldn’t be tolerated. It brings dishonor to those of us who served honorably. It also harms the long-term strength of our military. Victims must be able to trust that the system will work if an incident occurs. If it doesn’t, trust is lost, and good order and discipline are gone.
