Wall Street Journal: Pentagon Unveils Changes on Handling Sexual Assault
The Wall Street Journal Reports:
Lawmakers and advocacy groups praised many of the steps, particularly the decision to expand pilot programs that provide legal counsel to sexual-assault victims across the entire military. But they said the changes didn’t address the core problem that prevents victims of sexual assault from coming forward to report attacks and press charges against accused assailants: that a victim must now go to an immediate supervisor rather than an independent investigator.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) said victims will pursue sexual-assault charges only once they trust that the military justice system has become independent and objective. “The Pentagon taking action is a good thing and these are positive steps forward but it is not the leap forward required to solve the problem,” Ms. Gillibrand said.
The number of sexual assaults has been rising, according to military surveys, but only a few hundred cases are brought in the military justice system each year. Critics have said that is because victims worry their careers will be damaged if they pursue charges.
