Military Sex Assaults Rising 35% Bring Calls for Change
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Democratic lawmakers and victims’ advocates said they will push to strip U.S. military commanders of the power to prosecute sexual assaults after a Pentagon survey found attacks jumped 35 percent over the past two years.
The survey released yesterday estimated that 26,000 active-duty troops experienced unwanted sexual contact over the last year, up from 19,300 two years earlier. It was issued days after an Air Force officer in charge of sexual-assault prevention was charged with sexual battery, prompting a vow from President Barack Obama to “do everything we can to root this out.”