Pentagon: Reports of Sexual Assault in Military Increased Last Year

The number of sexual assaults reported in the military increased by nearly 10 percent last year, with “6,769 reports of sexual assault involving Service members as either victims or subjects of criminal investigations,” according to a Pentagon report released Monday. The Navy saw a 9.3 percent increase in assault reports compared to last year, and the Air Force had 9.2 percent increase. The Army and Marines also reportedly saw increases: 8.4 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively. The report also stated that the Defense Department “had sufficient evidence to take disciplinary action in 62 percent of the cases of accused Service members within its legal authority.” “We will not rest until we eliminate this crime from our ranks,” Navy Rear Adm. Ann Burkhardt, director of the Defense Department’s sexual-assault prevention and response office, told the Military Times. “We view this willingness report as the result of a decade -long effort to improve victim support, criminal investigation and military justice.”