Our Military: Fighting to Keep Its Culture of Abuse
Truthout reports:
The culture of abuse toward women in our military has been going on unchecked for decades. In 2012, there was a 35 percent increase, and between January and September 2013, there was a 50 percent increase in reported abuse. The 26,000 reports of sexual assault in 2012 are only 20 percent of actual assaults because 62 percent of women who do report experience severe retaliation, which can be worse than the actual assault, often ends their careers and deters reporting.
The Associated Press obtained 1,000 records of military sexual assault cases in Japan, between 2005 and 2013, showing “hundreds of cases . . . and painting a disturbing picture of how senior American officers prosecute and punish troops accused of sex crimes.” There were” seemingly strong cases often reduced to lesser charges. In two rape cases, commanders overruled recommendations to court-martial and dropped the charges instead.” While military leaders say things are getting better, and there are more cases now going to court-martial, the Japan documents did not support those assertions. Of the 473 cases of sexual assault allegations, only 116, or 24 percent, went to court-martial.
