Senate blocks Gillibrand sexual assault bill
Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish is featured in this MSNBC article:
The votes took place as two sexual assault court martials are beginning. The court martial of Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair began Tuesday. Sinclair faces charges that he forced a female junior officer to perform oral sex on him and threatened to kill her family. Headmitted guilt on several lesser charges related to inappropriate sexual relationships, but pleaded not guilty to the assault and threat charges. Former U.S. Naval Academy football player Joshua Tate’s court martial is scheduled to begin March 14. Tate and two teammates faced allegations that they sexually assaulted a female midshipman at a 2012 party. Charges were dropped against those two men.
Advocates for survivors vowed to keep fighting to change the system. “We may have lost this battle due to political maneuverings, but effective reform will be accomplished,” Nancy Parrish, President of Protect Our Defenders, said in a statement. “It is only a matter of time. We will redouble our efforts to secure the legal rights of American servicemen and women who have been sexually abused while serving their country.”
