WASHINGTON – The Pentagon announced a plan Thursday to deal with sexual assault in the ranks, including tighter control of recruiters and trainers, shored-up protections for victims and improved tracking of complaints and cases involving sexual abuse.
Among the initiatives:
Ensure the enforcement of policies prohibiting inappropriate relationships between recruiters, instructors and green troops. USA TODAY has reported that the Pentagon has disqualified 60 troops from roles as recruiters, instructors or counselors after it screened them for criminal backgrounds, including sexual assault.
Establish a victim-advocacy program in each service to provide legal advice and representation for those bringing sexual assault complaints.
Give commanders authority to transfer those accused of committing sexual assault to another unit. Currently, victims seek to serve in another unit, but the accused does not have to leave.
Mandate that a military lawyer be the investigating officer for all Article 32 hearings — the civilian equivalent of a preliminary hearing — involving sexual assault. Currently, that investigating officer does not have to be a lawyer.
Seek regular reports from the inspector general on investigations of sexual assault that have been closed to ensure they were properly handled.
“All of these measures will provide victims additional rights, protections and legal support, and help ensure that sexual assault-related investigations and judicial proceedings are conducted thoroughly and professionally,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement.
The moves come as Congress contemplates an overhaul of the system the armed services have developed to combat sexual assault. The issue came to the fore — and has largely stayed there — in the spring when the Pentagon announced that it estimated 26,000 cases of sexual assault had occurred in 2012. Those assaults ranged from unwanted touching to rape and represented a 35% increase over the last estimate in 2010.
“Sexual assault is a stain on the honor of our men and women who honorably serve our country, as well as a threat to the discipline and the cohesion of our force,” Hagel said. “It must be stamped out.”
Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, director of the Joint Staff, called sexual assault in the military a “serious and persistent problem” that erodes trust.
Thursday’s announcement was a first step, White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. “The initiatives announced today are substantial, but only a step along a path toward eliminating this crime from our military ranks,” Carney said. “The president expects this level of effort to be sustained not only in the coming weeks and months, but as far into the future as necessary.”
Some members of Congress, such as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., have found the military’s response to its self-described crisis as weak. They want commanders stripped of the authority to decide what sexual assault cases are prosecuted and to throw out convictions or amend sentences determined by military courts.
The plans announced Thursday do not go far enough, she said.
“It is time for Congress to seize the opportunity, listen to the victims and create an independent, objective and non-biased military justice system worthy of our brave men and women’s service,” Gillibrand said in a statement Thursday.
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., has also called for tougher measures. The Pentagon’s efforts are welcome but do not go far enough, she said in a statement Thursday.
“The most memorable statement from the Pentagon today was from Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright (Ret), who said that these new policies are best practices from policies already in existence across much of the Armed Services,” Speier said. “These aren’t new policies. We need sweeping changes; not the best of what’s not working. I continue to be underwhelmed by the military’s baby steps on this issue.”
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