New details of the scope of sexual assault in the military did little Thursday to change the political fight over how to address the problem.
In a new report by the Defense Department and the Rand Corp., researchers found signs that the number of sexual assaults in the military dropped this year but also that the problem is likely larger than officials originally estimated.
The number of rapes and violent sexual assaults, for example, are significantly higher than previously reported, the report states. Victims reported widespread instances of retaliation for reporting unwanted sexual contact but also high satisfaction with recent defense efforts to respond to and prevent the crimes.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., blasted the findings as further proof of a broken military justice system, one where victims still face intimidation and revictimization.
Related: New data show incidents of rape in military much higher than previously reported
"The Department of Defense continues to fail," she said. "Victims still don't feel comfortable coming forward and going to trial. It's a failure of leadership, a failure of the chain of command."
Gillibrand has been advocating taking sexual assault prosecutions out of the military justice system, in an effort to provide more independence and less command interference on those cases. That plan has gained significant support in the Senate but also fierce opposition from the Pentagon.
"If any senator or Congress member had a daughter in the military, if they had to accept this lack of justice for their son or daughter, they would never accept it," she said. "We shouldn't be asking this of the men and women who serve in our military."
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But Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said the report shows a military making significant strides in addressing the problem and building trust. While the retaliation issues are concerning, "it's mostly good news," she said.
McCaskill led an effort last year for Pentagon-backed reforms of the sexual assault problem, without removing military commanders from the process. She and other supporters called the report a vindication of that strategy, pointing to better engagement with victims and stronger involvement in prevention efforts.
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In a joint statement, Reps. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Niki Tsongas, D-Mass. — the co-chairs of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus — also called the new report encouraging. They cited the rise in crime reporting as "a possible signal that legislative and military changes from recent years are having an encouraging impact."
Gillibrand and her supporters have vowed they'll push for a new vote on her proposal before the end of the year. McCaskill said she is focused on additional changes to sexual assault victim support and prosecution included in this year's defense authoirzation bill.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
