Why rapists in military get away with it--by U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)

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(x-post from Veterans Group)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Jackie Speier: If you commit sexual assault in the military, you'll probably get away with it

• Speier: Service members who report attack face ridicule, demotion, refusal to be heard

• Sex assault scandal at Lackland base shows how trainees are preyed upon, she says

• Speier wants sex assault cases tried in impartial military office to ensure justice

By Jackie Speier, Special to CNN
updated 8:19 AM EDT, Thu June 21, 2012


Editor's note: Democratic U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier represents the 12th District of California. She is also the honorary chair of Protect Our Defenders, an organization that supports women and men in uniform who have been raped or sexually assaulted by fellow service members. Those who wish to share their stories can do so at Protect Our Defenders. Watch Rep. Speier talk about the issue with Carol Costello on CNN Newsroom on Thursday in the 9 a.m. hour.


(CNN) -- If you serve in the U.S. military and you rape or sexually assault a fellow service member, chances are you won't be punished. In fact, you have an estimated 86.5% chance of keeping your crime a secret and a 92% chance of avoiding a court-martial.

These disturbing statistics illustrate an ongoing epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military that Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta believes amounted to 19,000 incidents just in 2010. A culture of acceptance combined with few prosecutions against assailants and the conflicted chain of command structure discourages victims from reporting crimes.

Service members who report being sexually assaulted by a commanding officer or military colleague do so at their own peril. They face ridicule, demotion, investigation that includes a review of their sexual history and even involuntary discharge.

...


Right now, it is far too easy for a sexual predator in the military to rape or sexually assault a fellow service member and get away with it. Until these crimes are taken seriously and assailants are punished as the felons they are, the epidemic will continue.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/opinion/speier-military-rape/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Rep. Speier has authored a bill to provide a process for handling sexual abuse claims that would insulate them from command and other undue influences and ensure that they would be handled by qualified personnel with experience in dealing with these crimes. From her article published by CNN in February:

Victims of military rape deserve justice

By Jackie Speier, Special to CNN
updated 10:37 AM EST, Wed February 8, 2012



Then-Rep. Christopher Shays comforts ex-air force cadet Beth Davis after her 2006 testimony on sexual assault in the military.


...


Victims deserve an impartial investigation and the opportunity to have perpetrators tried in a military court of law. My bill, the STOP Act (H.R. 3435), takes complete authority and discretion out of the hands of commanders and gives that authority to objective experts.

The bipartisan STOP Act creates a new office of oversight and response to handle all possible cases of rape and sexual assault in the military, enabling unbiased personnel to determine the appropriate path of action for each report. The office would be housed in the Department of Defense and staffed by civilian and military experts trained to manage investigations of sexual assault.

My proposal is not unique to modern defense forces. Several of our closest allies have instituted meaningful reforms to manage cases of rape and sexual assault in their military.

The United Kingdom has largely transferred authority in military sexual assault cases to independent, impartial civilian personnel. Australia and Canada allow aggrieved service men and women to lodge complaints and access external agencies. All three countries strive to keep their internal military adjudication process independent from the influence of the military chain of command. We need to do the same.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/07/opinion/speier-military-rape/index.html

FY 2010 Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military
http://www.sapr.mil/media/pdf/reports/DoD_Fiscal_Year_2010_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf


San Francisco Chronicle: Rapes of Women in the Military “a national disgrace" by Rep. Jackie Speier
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/16/INS91J05RF.DTL#ixzz1Ju3QJb00


Website for Rep. Speier:
http://speier.house.gov/

[pinboy3niner]

1. Rep. Jackie Speier: This is a huge stain on military (video interview)

http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/21/rep-jackie-speier-this-is-a-huge-stain-on-military/

[championof women]

2. It's more than just military that are raped by them

It is more than just military women that are raped by the military. They are raping wives, girlfriends, and children all over the world.
There are stories our media should be covering showing how many people are raped by them weekly.
This site is about a girl raped by her boyfriend who faked PTSD which seems to be what a lot of them do. But the biggest sin is that under the UCMJ any of these guys could be called back at anytime and be prosecuted.

It doesn't help when there are congressmen helping the military get away with it and they serve on the armed forces committee.

www.theusmarinesrape.com
www.citizensagainstmarkcritz.com