MEDIA ADVISORY: Victim’s Family to Protest Outside Tucson Base Where Pilot Convicted of Sexual Assault Transferred
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2013
Contact: Brian Purchia, , brian@protectourdefenders.com
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
VICTIM’S FAMILY AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS TO PROTEST OUTSIDE TUCSON BASE WHERE AIR FORCE PILOT CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT TO BE TRANSFERRED; CALL FOR HIS DISMISSAL
Lt. Col. James Wilkerson is being transferred to Davis-Monthan (Tucson, AZ) in wake of aggravated sexual assault conviction overturned by Lt. Gen. Franklin; Wilkerson’s victim’s family lives in Tucson and are protesting transfer, calling for the removal of both men
TUCSON, AZ – Lt. Col James Wilkerson was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a civilian contractor at Aviano Air Base in Italy. As his punishment, Wilkerson was dismissed from the Air Force and sentenced to one year in jail. Lt. Gen Craig Franklin then overturned the conviction and freed his fellow pilot, reinstating him back into the Air Force. Now Wilkerson is being reassigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where many of Wilkerson’s victim’s family reside.
The victim’s family, Protect Our Defenders, survivors of military sexual assault, and other advocates for victims of sexual assault will hold a protest on Thursday, April 25 at 4:30pm MST outside of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (Intersection of S. Kolb Rd & E Irvington Rd) calling on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to remove Wilkerson for conduct unbecoming an officer, unrelated to the Aviano case. They will also call for Secretary Hagel to remove Franklin for undermining good order and discipline by acting on his bias and beliefs rather than the facts and the judgment of senior members of the jury he selected that found Wilkerson guilty.
Wilkerson’s victim reached out to Protect Our Defenders looking for support after the verdict in her case was set aside. The victim’s brother, Dr. Stephen Hanks; Dr. Shelli Hanks, sister-in-law, Panayiota Bertzikis, survivor and founder of Military Rape Crisis Center in Tucson; and Miranda Petersen, of Protect Our Defenders; will speak at the protest.
Protect Our Defenders will also present a petition calling for the removal of both Franklin and Wilkerson that has been signed by more than 2,000 supporters, calling on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to take swift and decisive action in combating the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military by removing these two officers. We agree with Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Welsh who has said, “every supervisor who isn’t actively engaged in being part of the solution of this is part of the problem.”
Lt. Gen. Franklin and Lt. Col. Wilkerson are part of the problem.
WHAT: Press Conference
WHO:
Dr. Stephen Hanks
Dr. Shelli Hanks
Panayiota Bertzikis
Founder, Military Rape Crisis Center
Miranda Petersen
Policy Advisor, Protect Our Defenders
Sexual Assault Survivor
WHEN:
4:30 PM MST, April 25
WHERE: At the intersection of S. Kolb Rd & E Irvington Rd. Tucson, AZ [View on Google Maps]
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
RSVP: Brian Purchia, 202.253.(202) 253-4330, brian@protectourdefenders.com
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Protect Our Defenders petition Calling on Sec. Hagel to Remove Lt. Gen. Franklin and Lt. Col. Wilkerson: http://www.causes.com/aviano
Huffington Post: James Wilkerson, Air Force Pilot Convicted Of Sexual Assault, Reassigned
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Dallas Morning News: Air Force officer, convicted of sexual assault, is assigned to victim’s hometown
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.
Tucson Sentinel: More Az veterans report dealing with military sexual trauma
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/
Stars and Stripes: Reinstated Air Force pilot Wilkerson assigned to Davis-Monthan
http://www.stripes.com/news/
Air Force Times: New job for officer with overturned conviction
http://www.airforcetimes.com/
Ring of Fire: Military Justice Protecting Criminals
http://www.ringoffireradio.
The Guardian: Air force general draws renewed fire as military sex assault row rumbles on
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Stars and Stripes: Overturning verdict was right decision, general says
http://www.stripes.com/news/
Washington Post: Air Force general¹s reversal of pilot’s sexual-assault conviction angers lawmakers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
About Protect Our Defenders: Protect Our Defenders is a human rights organization. We seek to honor, support and give voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country, and re-victimized by the military adjudication system – a system that often blames the victim and fails to prosecute the perpetrator. Learn more about Protect Our Defenders atwww.protectourdefenders.com or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/
Protect Our Defenders partners with Attorney Susan Burke, Burke PLLC to advance lawsuits filed against the DoD and service academies for repeatedly ignoring rape, sexual assault and harassment, failing to prosecute perpetrators and retaliating against the victim.
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