Collateral misconduct by the victim is one of the most significant barriers to reporting a sexual assault, said Andrea Goldstein, the Navy Department’s assistant director for force resiliency.
“The prohibition of consideration of the members’ good military character or service record moves the ‘zero-tolerance’ culture forward, omitting opportunities for the ‘good dude’ defense,” said military personnel expert Kate Kuzminski.
The National Guard sergeant had been arrested May 31 over “charges directly related” to his relationship with the soldier he targeted, Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald said.
Commanders who receive sexual harassment complaints must forward that complaint to the “next higher level commander in the chain of command” within 72 hours.