STATEMENT: DOD IG Releases Damning Report Revealing Army Mistreatment of Sexual Assault Victim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2015
***STATEMENT***
DOD IG RELEASES DAMNING REPORT REVEALING ARMY CID MISTREATMENT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM, FAILURE TO PROPERLY INVESTIGATE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
The investigation into the Army’s Criminal Investigative Command (CID)’s mishandling of this case, initiated after a request by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), contradicts the Army’s previous claims that the victims’ complaint was handled in accordance with regulations.
Washington, D.C. – Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General (IG) released a damning report of the Army’s failure to properly investigate an allegation of sexual assault. Additionally, the report found the Army investigator’s treatment of the victim was “dismissive and derisive.” In a blistering report, the IG concluded the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) failed to follow its own rules in how to properly conduct an investigation into allegations of sexual assault, including using an improperly trained and inexperienced lead investigator with little or no oversight. Despite the IG’s forceful recommendation that the case be reopened and acknowledgement that the CID failed to investigate other crimes allegedly committed by the suspect, the head of the Army CID refused to reopen the investigation.
Col. Don Christensen (ret.), President of Protect Our Defenders, released the following statement:
“Due to the Army’s blatant failure to properly investigate this case, an accused rapist was allowed to leave the Army with an honorable discharge and no accountability. Sadly, scores of survivors have contacted Protect Our Defenders reporting they too had their allegations ignored and were treated poorly after reporting. It should be very troubling that it took the intervention of Senator Warner for the Army’s misconduct to become public. The mistreatment of survivors by the military continues to be a barrier to solving the sexual assault crisis.”
The IG report’s findings contradict a previous response to Senator Warner’s inquiry, in which Army CID claimed the case had been handled properly and in accordance with all regulations.
DoD IG Report: Evaluation of United States Army Criminal Investigation Command Sexual Assault Investigation (November 10, 2015)
