• 22
  • February
    2011

In our last post, we began conversations about a lawsuit that is being filed against the Pentagon. More than a dozen people are alleging that Pentagon leadership ignored complaints and reports by military personnel about rape, harassment and sexual assault.

According to the lawsuit, there has been a drastic increase in the number of sexual assault cases reported. However, the trend that the military leadership is creating is anything but supportive for the victims. Personnel in leadership positions have ignored reports of abuse, worked to cover-up assaults and even promoted individuals believed to be guilty.

One woman was harassed by her superior for two years. When she reported the behavior to higher-ups, his behavior got worse. The lawsuit detailed numerous specific instances of abuse, including rape. Rather than receiving support when she reported the rape, she was forced to sign a statement admitting that she had an "inappropriate relationship" with the man who raped her.

Another woman who reported rape was harassed by others who were on duty, was refused food and was eventually imprisoned on the medical ward. Another woman was drugged and raped by two peers. Although physical evidence confirms she was raped by at least one person, her superior closed the criminal investigation, claiming that there was not enough evidence.

Another woman's rape was videotaped by her two rapists. When she reported it to her supervisors, her claim was shut down. They told her she hadn't struggled enough for the assault to be considered rape. In addition, the soldiers were already scheduled to leave Iraq, so her superiors told her not to start an investigation because it would mean they would be forced to stay in the country until the investigation was over.

When the Pentagon is forced to respond to the allegations of the hostile military culture, they repeatedly defer blame to someone else. One spokesperson said the solution to the military's problem is providing "more money, personnel, training and expertise" to other institutions, such as universities. While that is certainly a good idea, it still evades ownership of the ignored abuses and fails to address the immediate problem in the military.

Source: TPMMuckraker, "Military Personnel Say Pentagon Ignores Sexual Assaults, Harassment (VIDEO)," Ryan J. Reilly, 16 February 2011