Lawsuit alleges tolerance for rape, sex abuse in military

[The Straight Story]

Lawsuit alleges tolerance for rape, sex abuse in military
Published: November 14, 2011

A female sailor is alleging in a federal lawsuit that she was raped by a member of a Virginia Beach-based SEAL team after a night of drinking with sailors during a training trip to California, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

Petty Officer 1st Class Amy Lockhart is one of 28 plaintiffs from all of the services who allege in the lawsuit that they were raped or sexually assaulted while on military duty.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, 25 women and three men, accuse former defense secretaries, Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, of allowing a military culture in which sexual abusers are not punished, while victims are discouraged from seeking retribution.

Government lawyers have moved to have the case dismissed, arguing that Rumsfeld and Gates had no personal involvement in any violation of the plaintiffs' rights.
Read more about Lockhart’s allegations in The Virginian-Pilot.

http://www.stripes.com/lawsuit-alleges-tolerance-for-rape-sex-abuse-in-military-1.160758