Veterans and Advocates Condemn Military Failure to Stop Rape

"Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment are a plague upon the United States military," Anu Bhagwati, Executive Director of Service Women's Action Network (SWAN), stated at a Tuesday press conference announcing that a lawsuit had been filed over the military's failure to protect women in its ranks. "American youth should not sacrifice their right to bodily integrity when they step forward to serve our nation." Seems like that should go without saying, doesn't it?

The lawsuit is being levied against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for negligence in addressing the sexual assault or rape of 17 plaintiffs. Three of the survivors appeared in person at the moving conference where Bhagwati spoke. Herself a former Captain in the United States Marine Corps, Bhagwati spoke of her disappointing experiences watching the senior officers accuse decorated female servicemembers of lying, while letting sexual predators get away without consequences. "I saw some of the nation’s finest servicemembers leave the military after their abuse and betrayal, while their perpetrators and the officers who willingly protected them to this day remain in uniform."

Rape occurs in the military at double the rate of the civilian population, while one-third of women veterans — at least — were victims of rape or sexual assault while serving in the military, according to the Veterans Medical Center. About 3000 rapes were reported in FY 2009 alone, a number that the Department of Defense estimates represents only 20% of actual assaults. Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal, who also spoke at the press conference, emphasized repeatedly that most military sexual assaults and rapes are committed by repeat offenders — some 95%. That means tons of preventable assaults that occur due to a permissive and victim-blaming culture that allows serial rapists to get away with their attacks on women, and attack again.

Given that reporting a rape provides survivors with little guarantee of redress, but a large probability of retaliation by their attacker or a senior official who would prefer to cover-up the assault, Bhagwati denounces the DoD's practice of pushing sexual assault victims to report, report, report -- without promising any real follow-through. Meanwhile, the poster campaigns of the minuscule "Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office" (SAPRO) not only fail to make a positive impact, they disseminate "victim blaming and rape mythology."

Service Women's Action Network is calling upon Congress to take action requiring the Armed Forces to address sexual abuse in their ranks. Please stand with them and the thousands of women raped in the military every year while serving the American flag by signing their petition immediately.

Photo credit: SWAN