May 2, 2014

The Pentagon announced Thursday that the number of reported sexual assaults in the military jumped by 50 percent in 2013.  

Overall, DoD received more than 5,000 reports of sexual assault in 2013 up from almost 3,400 in 2012. It’s unclear how many cases of sexual assault still go unreported. Many victims are reluctant to come forward and report what happened to them, and fear of retaliation exacerbated this problem in the military.  

Despite this troubling increase, DoD officials reported that the upturn of reported sexual assaults indicate troops are more comfortable coming forward to report sexual assaults than in the past. This may be the result of Congressional efforts to bolster prevention efforts, protect those who come forward, and prosecute perpetrators.  

Congress passed considerable reforms in 2012 and 2013, but several legislators continue to push for deeper reforms to include provisions in the recently approved FY 2015 House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee mark.  

Military sexual assault is a systemic problem that has only recently begun to be addressed by Congress and the Pentagon. A 50 percent increase in reported assaults is shocking, but it may indicate that these reforms are beginning to work.   

It’s clear this issue demands more attention. Further reforms may be necessary if DoD cannot contain this unacceptable problem.  

MOAA will continue to follow this issue closely and work with the Pentagon and Congress to ensure that victims can come forward without fear of punishment or retaliation and perpetrators are dealt with appropriately.