STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Responds to Pentagon’s Sexual Assault Panel Findings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2014
Contact: Brian Purchia, 202.253.(202) 253-4330, brian@protectourdefenders.com
*** STATEMENT ***
PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS RESPONDS TO PENTAGON’S SEXUAL ASSAULT PANEL FINDINGS
Washington, DC – Today, the Pentagon’s Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel released an initial assessment of “Whether Senior Commanders Should Retain Authority to Refer Cases of Sexual Assault to Courts-Martial” — siding with the status quo instead of an independent and impartial military justice system for our brave men and women in uniform.
Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish released the following statement:
“It is clear there is strongly argued dissension among members of the panel. 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 ridiculous. We agree with panel member, Harvey Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney of Virginia Beach, that the perception that justice is not being served cannot be ignored. This is why 90% of victims don’t report.
“The idea that professional, independent, justice is good enough for American citizens, but not for those who risk their lives to protect our values is un-American.
“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. Higher ranking perpetrators who are more highly valued, in whom the military has more invested and with whom commanders often have a closer relationship.
“Fifty percent of victims report the perpetrator is of higher rank and twenty-five percent of victims report the perpetrator was in their chain of command. Sixty percent of victims who reported the crime claim they were retaliated against. How can the system possibly work with this dynamic still in place? The number of convictions is insignificant and a high percentage of those convictions are given a slap on the wrist. What else does the panel need to know?
“Instead of listening to our veterans, those who were sexual assault victims and then subjected to retaliation by their chain of command – this panel has so far decided to stand with the status quo and the hollow Pentagon promises of ‘zero tolerance.’”
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US News and World Report: Military Panel to Hold Public Meeting on Sexual Assault
Military Times: Panel: Commanders should retain authority in sex assault cases
Military Times: Panel slammed for closing sex assault policy hearings
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 at www.protectourdefenders.com or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ProtectOurDefenders or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ProtectRDfnders.
Protect Our Defenders partners with Attorney Susan Burke, of Katz, Marshall & Banks LLP 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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