Since 2006, more than 95,000 service members have been sexually assaulted in the U.S. military.
More than 86% of service members do not report their assault.
Less than five percent of all sexual assaults are put forward for prosecution, and less than a third of those cases result in imprisonment.
We highly recommend watching this documentary, The Invisible War, which was released in October of this year. Directed by Kirby Dick, it shines light on the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military, letting actual victims tell their stories. The lack of concern that these women were shown after they were raped is shocking. When each and every one came forward to report the crimes, they faced "a second assault": commanding officers who either don't believe them or who refuse to do anything about the crime.
ABC News says: as terrible as the rape was, the repercussions were almost as horrendous -- women were accused of adultery (if the perpetrator happened to be married) or "conduct unbecoming an officer." They lost rank, they were accused of having "set up the men." When one of the women reported a rape -- the third that week in one particular unit -- she was asked, "You girls think this is a game; are you all in cahoots?"
Many of our closet NATO allies no longer allow commanders to determine the prosecution of sexual assault crimes, yet within the U.S. military, where rape has become so prevalent that a female soldier is now more likely to be raped by one of her fellow soldiers than killed in combat, many women are finding themselves trapped because the person in the chain of command to whom they should report the crime is either a friend of the rapist (in 33% of case) or the rapist himself (in 25% of cases).
The most horrifying account which comes to light in this film is the story of Kori Cioca, who is still dealing with a major jaw injury inflicted when her rapist hit her in the face.
In February 2011, seventeen United States veterans filed suit against the Pentagon and defense secretary Robert Gates and former secretary Donald Rumsfeld, alleging that they allowed a culture in the military where rape was unevenly reported and punished. In several of the plaintiffs' cases, the victim was forced to work with the accused rapist after reporting them for sexual assault. Unit commanders often have heavy influence over military rape cases, and less than one in five cases are prosecuted (from Wikipedia). In December 2011, the Court dismissed the survivors' lawsuit ruling that rape is an occupational hazard of military service. An appeal has been filed.
Invisible No More is a non-partisan coalition working to end sexual assault within the U.S. military and to help survivors of Military Sexual Assault heal.. You can visit their website to learn more and get involved.
Also check out some of these related news articles: "Sexual assaults in military bring shame, not action" in USA Today and "Sexual Violence and the Military" in the NY Times.
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