Twice as many sex assault victims opting out
Protect Our Defenders President Col. Don Christensen is featured in this Air Force Times article:
But retired Col. Don Christensen, a former Air Force chief prosecutor, thinks the swelling numbers of victims opting out is a cause for concern and shows victims may be losing confidence. Christensen, who is now president of Protect our Defenders, a group that advocates for survivors of sexual assault in the military, says the length of time it takes to resolve a sexual assault case, as well as the retaliation sexual assault victims sometimes suffer after they come forward, is discouraging some victims from continuing with their cases.
“As time drags on and they start to see how they’re being treated throughout the process, it becomes a disincentive for them to keep going forward,” Christensen said.
Grosso said the statistic could show that the newly established special victims’ counsels, who advocate on behalf of sexual assault victims, are increasingly helping those victims remove themselves from a process they no longer wish to be a part of.
