STATEMENT: Protect Our Defenders Responds to Suspension of US Army’s Top Sexual Assault Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2014 Contact: Brian Purchia, Brian@protectourdefenders.com
*** STATEMENT ***
PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS RESPONDS TO SUSPENSION OF US ARMY’S TOP SEXUAL ASSAULT PROSECUTOR AFTER ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
Washington DC – Lieutenant Colonel Joseph “Jay” Morse, the United States Army’s top prosecutor has been suspended after allegations of sexual against at a legal conference on sexual assault in 2011. Another Army lawyer has alleged that Lt. Col. Morse attempted to kiss her and groped her against her will in a hotel room at the conference.
Last month, the Army disqualified 588 soldiers from what they call ‘positions of trusts,’ for various crimes including sexual assault, child abuse, and drunk driving. These disqualified soldiers included recruiters, drill sergeants, and even sexual assault counselors.
Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish released the following statement:
“If true, this case is yet another disheartening example of the hollow pledges of ‘zero tolerance’ we have heard for more than 20 years. When the military has those at top of the chain who are in charge of fighting sexual assault accused of sexual misconduct at a conference on sexual assault it should be clear to every level headed human being the status quo must be changed.
“This reads like an article from the Onion. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing funny about it.
“There will always be bad actors in any class of people or segment of society, including prosecutors. The problem is that commanders who today control the military justice system are inherently conflicted, often biased, and not trained or competent to handle issues involving the prosecution of sexual assault. Just because one Army senior prosecutor commits a crime does not change those dynamics.”
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Stars and Stripes: Army’s top sex assault prosecutor suspended after assault allegation
Huffington Post: Top Army Sex Crime Prosecutor Under Investigation After Sexual Assault Allegations Surface
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/06/army-prosecutor-sexual-assault-joseph-morse_n_4914443.html
Opposing Views: Lt. Col. Joseph “Jay” Morse, Top Army Assault Prosecutor, Accused Of Sexual Assault
Press TV: US Army’s top sex assault prosecutor suspended after assault allegation
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/03/07/353562/us-army-sex-assault-prosecutor-suspended/
UPI: Army’s top sex assault prosecutor suspended for sexual assault at sexual assault conference
Stars and Stripes: Army disqualifies 588 soldiers from ‘positions of trust’
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/army-disqualifies-588-soldiers-from-positions-of-trust-1.270136
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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