Sexual Assaults in the Military

Legislation | Documents/Reports | Links | Press Releases

Rapes and sexual assaults are far too common in both civilian life and in the military. I have worked to bring justice to the military victims of sexual assaults through letters to the Department of Defense, nonpartisan studies, and legislation. As our soldiers are fighting for those who have long been denied basic rights, we should do everything possible to ensure that we are protecting their rights, too. 

Legislation: 

06/29/06 - H.R. 5735, a Bill to establish a firm deadline for the full implementation of the Defense Incident-Based Reporting System (DIBRS) [109th Congress]

10/19/05 - H.R.4077, Preventing Sexual Assaults in the Military Act of 2005 [109th Congress]

10/08/04 - H.R.5328, Preventing Sexual Assaults in the Military Act of 2004 [108th Congress]

05/18/99 - H.R.1847, Military Dependents Communications Confidentiality Act of 1999 [106th Congress]

03/13/97 - H.R.1072, Commission on Military Justice and Fairness Act [105th Congress]

Documents/Reports: 

08/09/05 - Letter from Jeanne B. Fites, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Program Integration, concerning the status of DIBRS

09/10/08 - Military Personnel: Actions Needed to Strengthen Implementation and Oversight of DOD's and the Coast Guard's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Programs (U.S. Government Accountability Office)

03/13/08 – Department of Defense FY07 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military (Department of Defense)

06/30/05 – Report of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies (Department of Defense)

05/27/04 – The Acting Secretary of the Army’s Task Force Report on Sexual Assault Policies (Department of Defense)

04/05/04 – Task Force Report on Care for Victims of Sexual Assault (Department of Defense)

09/22/03 - Report of the Panel to Review Sexual Misconduct Allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy (Congress, Tillie Fowler chaired, 2003)

06/17/03 - Report of the Working Group Concerning the Deterrence of and Response to Incidents of Sexual Assault at the U.S. Air Force Academy  

07/30/99 - Congressional Commission on Military Training and Gender-Related Issues - Final Report, Volume 4 (Congress, chaired by Anita Blair, 1999)

07/30/99 - Congressional Commission on Military Training and Gender-Related Issues - Final Report, Volume 3 (Congress, chaired by Anita Blair, 1999)  

07/30/99 - Congressional Commission on Military Training and Gender-Related Issues - Final Report, Volume 2 (Congress, chaired by Anita Blair, 1999)  

07/30/99 - Congressional Commission on Military Training and Gender-Related Issues - Final Report, Volume 1 (Congress, chaired by Anita Blair, 1999)  

06/01/99 - Adapting Military Sex Crime Investigations to Changing Times (Congress, National Academy of Public Administration, 1999)

12/16/97 - The Report of the Federal Advisory Commission on Gender-Integrated Training and Related Issues to the Secretary of Defense (DoD, chaired by Nancy Kassebaum Baker, 1997) 

11/07/97 - Secretary of the Army's Senior Review Panel Report on Sexual Harassment - Vol I and II (Secretary of the Army, 1997)

10/01/97 - Special Investigation of Initial Entry Training, Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures (Army Inspector General, 1997) 

12/01/96 - 1995 Sexual Harassment Survey (DoD, 1996) 

11/01/95 - Sexual Harassment of Navy Personnel: Results of a 1993 Survey (Naval Personnel Research and Development Center, 1995)  

05/01/95 - Report of the Task Force on Discrimination and Sexual Harassment (DoD Defense Equal Opportunity Council, 1995) 

01/31/94 - Abuse Victims Study Final Report (DoD, 1994)

01/31/94 - DoD Service Academies: More Actions Needed to Eliminate Sexual Harassment (GAO, 1994)

12/23/92 - Hearings into Gender Discrimination in the Military (House Armed Services Committee, 1992)

12/01/92 - Sexual Harassment in the Active Duty Navy: Findings 1991 Navy-wide Survey (Naval Personnel Research and Development Center, 1993)
 
09/21/92 - The Tailhook Report: The Official Inquiry into the Events of Tailhook '91 (Inspector General, DoD) 

09/14/92 - Women in the Military: The Tailhook Affair and the Problem of Sexual Harassment (House Armed Services Committee, 1992) 

07/12/91 - Strategies to Eradicate Sexual Harassment in the Military and Civilian Environment (DoD, 1991) 

09/01/90 - Sexual Harassment in the Military: 1988 (DoD, 1988) 

Links: 

U.S. Army Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Program

 

More on Sexual Assaults in the Military

Maloney Amendment requires Navy to report progress on rape database

Jun 25, 2009 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – An amendment by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) was adopted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) today requiring the Department of the Navy report twice a year on its progress in implementing a criminal justice database, as mandated by Congress 21 years ago.

New Legislation Would Improve Reporting of Sexual Assault and Other Crimes in the Military

Jul 6, 2006 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC –  In 1988, Congress mandated that the Pentagon collect statistics about crimes committed within the armed forces. 18 years have passed, and despite repeated prodding from Congress, the Department of Defense has failed to fully implement DIBRS, the Defense Incident-Based Reporting System (A Congressional Research Service report on the status of DIBRS can be found here).

Army Urged to Protect Privacy of Sexual Assault Survivors

Nov 22, 2005 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY), and 13 of their colleagues are urging Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey to reconsider implementing a new system that would collect personal identifying information of sexual assault survivors (view PDF document). According to a notice in the Federal Register on October 25, 2005, the Sexual Assault Data Management System Files would be added to the Army’s existing records systems.

Seeking Justice for Military Rape Victims

Oct 19, 2005 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Often-overlooked, military rape victims would get much-needed help from legislation reintroduced today in Congress. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) reintroduced the Preventing Sexual Assaults in the Military Act, which would authorize three years of funds 

U.S. Rep. Maloney, With Coalition of NYC Women Leaders, Details Top Twenty President Bush Policies That Hurt Women

Aug 23, 2005 Press Release
 

-"There's nothing funny about this Top 20 list"-

NEW YORK, NY - Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14) and members of many of the country's leading women's rights organizations gathered on the steps of New York's City Hall to deliver a scathing indictment of President Bush's policies on women's health care, women's equality and women's rights. As part of the lead-up to Women's Equality Day on August 26 th , Congresswoman Maloney presented a list of the Top 20 Bush administration actions that have hurt women.

PENTAGON MUST TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO SUPPORT MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS, 48 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TELL RUMSFELD

Jul 9, 2004 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - To force the Department of Defense to take action on the problem of poor care for servicewomen and men who have been sexually assaulted, Reps. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14), Diane Watson (CA-33) and 46 other Members of Congress wrote to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today asking for immediate, concrete measures to support victims of sexual assault (PDF of letter). Members also asked for a timeline of when the recommendations made in DoD’s recently released Department of Defense Task Force Report on Care for Victims of Sexual Assault will be implemented. Members say that the report does little to actually help the victims but instead makes long-term, broad recommendations that do nothing to help the victims now.

ARMY SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORT: “MILITARY’S NON-ACTION HAS LET THIS PROBLEM GET WORSE,” SAYS REP. MALONEY

Jun 3, 2004 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - An Army task force on sexual assault has completed a report that reveals that sex abuse claims within the Army’s ranks increased by 19% from 1999 to 2002. The number of rapes reported rose by 25% - both numbers far outpace the growth of Army personnel, which was at 6%.

MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORT RELEASED; MALONEY SAYS RECOMMENDATIONS VAGUE, BUT ACTION MUST BE IMMEDIATE

May 13, 2004 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Care for Victims of Sexual Assault task force released its final report on sexual assault in the military tonight (PDF of report). Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14), who has long pressed the military to combat sexual assault within its ranks, said that while she is pleased that the report has finally been released, its limited and vague recommendations are disappointing. She is also concerned that the report will not be followed by action, as has been the case many times in the past.

86 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO RUMSFELD: ANOTHER STUDY OF MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULTS MEANINGLESS WITHOUT ACTION

Apr 15, 2004 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - To force action on the problem of rampant sexual assault in the military, 86 Members of Congress wrote Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today asking for a face-to-face meeting to determine the Department of Defense’s (DoD) plan (PDF of letter). To this point, DoD has announced a task force to study the problem, but the Members say that is not nearly enough - they point to 18 reports over the past 16 years that have yielded no substantive action.

STATEMENT BY CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN MALONEY ON THE NAVY DECISION TO RESTORE TIES WITH TAILHOOK

Jan 20, 2000 Press Release

NEW YORK - After learning last night that the US Navy has decided to restore full ties to the Tailhook Association, the naval aviators organization that gained attention in 1991 for a slew of scandalous acts of sexual harassment waged against female officers during their Las Vegas convention, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) released the following statement:

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