Stars and Stripes: Expert panel: Don’t strip commanders of courts-martial powers
Protect Our Defenders is featured in this article from Stars and Stripes:
A prominent sexual assault victims’ advocacy group slammed the panel’s findings.
“The idea that anyone can argue that the status quo — leaving commanders responsible for what they have for so long promised and failed to accomplish for decades — [is acceptable] is ridiculous,” according to a press release issued by Protect Our Defenders. “Commanders are inherently conflicted. If something bad happens on their watch, they are blamed for it. It is well understood that they have a bias in favor of perpetrators who are generally higher ranking than their victims … This panel has so far decided to stand with the status quo and the hollow Pentagon promises of ‘zero tolerance.’”
Elizabeth Hillman, a Professor of Law at the University of California was the lone dissenter on the subcommittee.
