sexual assault in the military

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Pentagon Changes Protocol on Sexual Assault Cases

Independent lawyers, not commanders, will investigate them from now on

(Newser) - The US military on Thursday opened a new chapter in how it investigates and prosecutes sexual assault and other major crimes, putting independent lawyers in charge of those decisions and sidelining commanders after years of pressure from Congress. The change, long resisted by Pentagon leaders, was finally forced by members...

General's Sex Case Shows Military Can't Try Its Own

Ruth Marcus: This time, Army prosecutors overreached because of political pressure

(Newser) - Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair gets sentenced today in the military's highest-profile sexual harassment case to date, and the legal mess precisely illustrates why we need to remove such cases from the usual chain of command, writes Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post . But not for the reason you...

Army's Lead Sex Assault Lawyer Accused of Assault

Woman says Jay Morse groped her at 2011 sex assault conference

(Newser) - The Army's top prosecutor for sexual assault cases has been removed from his post after being accused of sexually assaulting a lawyer—at a conference on sexual assault. Joseph "Jay" Morse was suspended last month after the lawyer reported that he tried to "kiss and grope her...

Army Ousts 588 From Key Jobs in Sex Assault Review

They're accused of everything from sexual assault to drunk driving

(Newser) - The Army has kicked 588 soldiers out of "positions of trust"—jobs that include sexual assault counselors , recruiters , and drill sergeants—following a review prompted by a spike in sexual assaults. The soldiers were accused of a range of misconduct that included not just assaults, but things like...

How the Pentagon Managed to Kill Sex-Assault Reform

Military's lobbying muscle is without peer

(Newser) - Publicly, the military has vowed to do everything it can to combat sexual assault. But privately, it's been in lobbying overdrive to ensure it doesn't have to do much at all, Politico reports. While federal agencies regularly lean on legislators, this push by the Pentagon has been unusually...

How Obama Inadvertently Helped Military Sex Abusers

His words as commander in chief damning them will complicate trials: NY Times

(Newser) - He meant well. Back in May, President Obama said he had no more patience with the rising number of sexual assault cases in the military, and he declared that perpetrators should be “prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged." The problem, as the New York Times...

Most Victims of Military Sex Assault: Men

Key fact is still overlooked by many

(Newser) - The sexual assault epidemic plaguing the military is getting quite a bit of attention —but what's not getting much attention is the fact that 53% of all sexual assault cases last year involved male victims, the New York Times reports. "It’s easy for some people to...

Naval Academy Charges 3 Footballers in Rape Case

Victim was disciplined for drinking: lawyer

(Newser) - The US Naval Academy yesterday charged three midshipmen—all current or former football players —with sexually assaulting a female student at an off-campus house in Annapolis in April 2012. The academy said in a news release that the male midshipmen are being charged with two violations of the Uniform...

Senate Kills Plan for Military Rape Prosecutors

Carl Levin leave commanders to handle cases

(Newser) - A proposal that would have appointed independent prosecutors, rather than unit commanders, to handle sexual assault cases in the military will be MIA from the Defense Authorization Act. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin has decided to kill the provision, siding with military brass who complained that the measure...

Navy Football Players in Rape Investigation

3 accused of assaulting drunk female midshipman at party

(Newser) - The military has yet another high-profile sex-assault investigation on its hands, this one involving three unidentified players on the Navy football team, reports Military.com . They are accused of raping a drunk female midshipman during an off-campus party last year, reports the New York Times , which has interviewed the unidentified...

Obama to Military: Sexual Assaults Making You Weaker

President addresses Naval Academy commencement

(Newser) - Barack Obama gave the commencement address at the US Naval Academy today, and he used the occasion to talk about the military's issues with sexual assault . The perpetrators of sexual violence "threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong," Obama said, according to USA Today...

Rape in Military 'Even Starts at Recruitment': Testimony

Senate looks at sexual assault in military for 1st time in nearly a decade

(Newser) - Four victims of sexual assault in the military testified before Congress yesterday, in the Senate's first look at the topic in nearly a decade, reports the Los Angeles Times . BriGette McCoy described being sexually harassed—after being raped twice, by two different soldiers in her unit. "It even...

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