Protect Soldiers From Sexual Assault
In 2009, a Department of Defense investigation on sexual violence in the military estimated that more than 19,000 military personnel are assaulted by fellow soldiers every year. Of these, 80 to 90 percent go unreported.
Recently, the Service Women Action Network (SWAN) found that an increasing number of men and women who do report their rapes and assaults are being diagnosed with "personality disorders" and discharged from service. A person with a "personality disorder" is ineligible for military service as well as veterans' benefits. In other words, for many victims, reporting an assault means an end to their careers.
According to SWAN, "[The diagnosis] appears to be a way for the military to get rid of troops who are simply reporting a violent crime committed by a fellow servicemember."
Men and women in the military deserve protection under the American legal system. Pressure legislators to ensure that the military will stop punishing troops for seeking justice.
I am writing to urge you to pass legislature protecting servicemen and -women from repercussions as a result of reporting sexual violence.
[Your comments here]
According to a recent report by the Service Women Action Network, many military personnel who report sexual assaults are routinely diagnosed with "personality disorders" and discharged. Moreover, evidence suggests that 80 to 90 percent of sexual assaults go unreported.
Men and women in the military deserve protection under the American justice system. I urge you to take stronger action to ensure that they are never persecuted for reporting sexual violence, whether or not it is committed by a fellow servicemember.
