Marine Corps Settles Rape Lawsuit [View All]

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Source: AP

SAN FRANCISCO - The Marine Corps agreed Thursday to revamp its recruiting practices in Northern California and pay $200,000 to two young women who claimed they were raped during a slumber party at a Ukiah recruiting office.

The women were in high school, 17 years old, and interested in joining the military in late 2004 when they claimed the two recruiters, Sgts. Joseph Dunzweiler and Brian Fukushima, raped them. Both recruiters were demoted after court-martial proceedings but were acquitted of the most serious charges.

The unusual settlement, signed Thursday by a federal judge in San Francisco, requires notices to be posted at recruiting stations throughout the region advising potential recruits how to reach a confidential advocate if they feel a recruiter has behaved inappropriately, and explaining that young women have the right to work with a female recruiter. The settlement also requires female supervision at slumber parties with female recruits.

An Associated Press investigation published last year found that across all military services, one out of 200 frontline recruiters - the ones who deal directly with young people - was disciplined for sexual misconduct in 2005. In response, the Defense Department announced last summer it would closely monitor military recruiters and their commanders and consider a policy change.

Read more: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,138437,00.html?ESRC=eb.nl