Department of Defense Report Indicates Sexual Assault in the Military is Sharply Rising
The Department of Defense released a report this week that shows an 8 percent increase of sexual assault involving service members from fiscal year 2007. Sixty-three percent of the 2,908 reported sexual assaults were rape or aggravated assault. The report also showed that 8 percent more cases were referred to trial from 2007.
The Department of Defense estimates that only about 20 percent of cases are reported. Dr. Kaye Whitley, director of the Pentagon Sexual Assault and Prevention Office, told the BBC that "Given the fear and stigma associated with the crime, sexual assault remains one of our nation's most under-reported crimes in both the military and civilian community." She also indicated that the rise in reporting could be because "The department has been aggressively pursuing efforts to increase reporting and convince more victims to seek care and support services."
Media Resources: BBC 3/18/09; US Department of Defense Report 3/17/09; US Department of Defense Press Release 3/17/09
http://feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=11587
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The biggest reason why I am not a fan of the military. A woman serving overseas in Iraq is more likely to get raped by a fellow serviceman then get shot by an enemy combatant. Sadly, our military has an ugly reputation of this. "41% of female veterans seen at the clinic say they were victims of sexual assault while in the military, and 29% report being raped during their military service."
Rapist in the Ranks
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-harman31mar31,0,5399612.story
Rape of Iraqi Women by US Occupation Forces
http://www.aztlan.net/iraqi_women_raped.htm
Another KBR Rape Case
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080421/houppert
Five Soldiers Rape, Murder 14 year old Iraqi girl
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080421/houppert
U.S. Soldier pours kerosene on raped, slain Iraqi
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/08/07/iraq.familyslain/index.html
Private War of Women Soldiers
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/07/women_in_military/
I find myself confused by the brutality of human nature, the lack of compassion by our servicemen. How could a someone do this to another person?
1 comment:
I have worked in a domestic violence shelter, spent time teaching classes about sexual assault and domestic violence and my wife spent 8 years as a counselor for survivors of sexual assault. Domestic violence and sexual assault are related crimes in that both are motivated by the need for control and domination. The military works hard to break down a soldires normal societal associations so that an "enemy" can be readily perceived as less tahn fully human and killed, brutalized and thus controlled. The military is a breeding ground for control freaks. Thus the sexual assault statistics. Our modern military is a very evil institution.
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