Combat Military Rape, Congresswoman Jackie Speier introduces legislation and campaign

Congresswoman Jackie Speier holds a press conference on legislation to combat sexual assault and rape in the military.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier Proposes New Justice Process To Combat Sexual Assault Crisis in the Military

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco, San Mateo) today introduced legislation to dramatically reform how sexual assaults and rape in the military are treated (download bill summary.) She will hold a press conference on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 9:45 am ET at the National Press Club (see details below.)
Speier stated, "For too long the military's response to rape victims has been: 'take an aspirin and go to bed.' We owe our brave women and men in the military a justice system that protects them, not punishes them when they become victims of sexual assaults and rape committed by other service members."

Speier added, "Despite 25 years of Pentagon studies, task force recommendations and congressional hearings, sexual assaults and rape in the military continue unabated. In 2010 the Department of Defense (DoD) conducted a survey of active duty members which revealed that only a small percentage of the more than 19,000 incidents of rapes and sexual assaults involving service members was actually reported. For the record, an estimated 13.5 percent of sexual assaults and rapes saw the light day—and only 8 percent of those reports resulted in prosecution—in the end 465 service members were either administratively discharged or punished through the court-martial process —that's about 2.5 percent of the total suspected acts of sexual assaults and rape—a good percentage for a direct mail response, but unacceptable for a justice system.

"The vast majority of men and women who have been sexually abused have come to realize that there is no justice in the in the military's chain of command and so they are forced to live with their trauma in secret and that, in turn, subjects them to a second act of victimization—they suffer while their attacker goes unpunished. Instead of justice, we end up with increased diagnoses of PTSD among victims of sexual assault who know what is like to be told to shut up and take an aspirin...it will only hurt....for a lifetime.

"The failure to respond in a judicial manner to sexual violence, is more than an injustice, it is, according to some of our highest ranked military leaders, a threat to our military readiness. Members of military units live on, survive on the code of watching out for each other. When sexual assaults and rape are hushed, or ignored, trust in a unit is compromised along with its collective readiness to engage the enemy.

"To end this needless injustice, I am proposing a legislative remedy and fully endorsing the website, Protect Our Defenders, which will provide the grass roots mechanics required to make our military leaders and Congress understand that what has been going on before their very eyes for decades is unconscionable and must be stopped. We owe our brave women and men in the military a justice process that protects them, not punishes them when they become victims of sexual assaults and rape.

"The Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act—the STOP Act—takes the reporting, oversight, investigation, and victim care of sexual assaults out of the hands of the military's normal chain of command and places jurisdiction in the newly created, autonomous Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office comprised of civilian and military experts."

Speier noted the following:
• The military adjudication system lacks independence as military judges depend on base commanders and the like to provide the salient facts of a case while these commanders have significant discretion in dealing with accusations of sexual assault. Service members have only limited access to civilian courts to address their grievances.

• The U.S. military's default position regarding any servicemembers' complaints is that they be resolved through the chain of command. According to the Manual for Courts-Martial, "each commander has discretion to dispose of offenses by members of that command. Ordinarily the immediate commander of a person accused or suspected of committing an offense triable by court-martial initially determines how to dispose of that offense."


Press Conference
Who:
Congresswoman Jackie Speier
Nancy Parrish, President Protect Our Defenders
Military Rape Victims

When:
Thursday, November 17, 2011
9:45 am ET




Where:
National Press Club
First Amendment Room
529 14th Street Northwest, 13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• STOP Act
• military rape
• sexual assault
• Congresswoman Jackie Speier
• Nancy Parrish
• legislation
• campaign
• website
• service members
• rape victims
• rape survivors

[Nezsem]

I disliked this video just to be the first to dislike it.

[superjohn77799]

This lady has no clue about what transpires in the military judicial system. I've worked in a civilian DA's office as well as served as a military prosecutor. The military prosecutes cases that a civilian DA would not dream of taking to trial. Her comments are ignorant and insulting to the commanders, military lawyers and the great majority of Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Soldiers that serve honorably every day. Her extreme comments don't do justice to the military or the public they serv

[brianpurchia]

Congresswoman Jackie Speier is the Honorary Chair of Protect Our Defenders, a new organization, which seeks to honor, support and give voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country. Join us.

[weatheredgal]

<3 SB Could not of said it better. I like to add - What if it was you?



[SothernBelle67]

Stand up for what is right and stop being a coward. Stop perpetuating the violence and attitude that leads to the violence. I am not the wrong gender and this was not my fault. I fought for my life and everything I knew to be right, but its my fault for being patriotic? I should have known better than to go in a mainly female MOS... whatever. Mr guns and patriots you are wrong and you give gun enthusiast and patriots like me a bad name. You are the disgrace!!!

[SothernBelle67]

Stop the violence and stop perpetuating the attitude. How would you feel if it was your wife, sister, daughter, or mother? Would you then blame her too or would you become angry and say this has to stop? The fact is women are allowed and that won't change. So help us stay safe. Help men and women stay safe while we defend your right to spew vile ignorance. Stop thinking we don't belong because we do. People like you need to change your way of thinking!!

[SothernBelle67]

That was the guy from guns and patriots magazine or so he said... this is the exact kind of discrimination I faced in the military for being a woman. Apparently we belong @ home pregnant and bare foot. Anyone who does not fit the "normal" profile is subjected to assault and rape. Rape is about power and control which the military is control oriented. This is just another condoned method of controlling the troops male or female. Here's a thought STOP BLAMING ME. Help us....don't be one of them!

[SadieJaLB]

If I were a male, I would be highly offended by the last guy to ask a question, as he implies that any and all males will commit rape if women are present and in close quarters...