Gillibrand heads up a coalition that believes military commanders should no longer have control over sexual assault cases, because current policy deters reporting of sex crimes and lets predators off the hook. Two members of the Senate armed services committee-Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)-disagree, and have put forward plans to reform the system.
Top military brass say that commanders need this kind of prosecutorial discretion to maintain order and discipline within the ranks. * Commanding officers are also allowed to overturn sexual assault convictions. The background: Under the military justice system, if a service member is assaulted, the commander of the alleged perpetrator has the final say over whether charges should be brought. But a battle has emerged over how to solve the problem.
This week, the Senate will begin consideration of legislation to curb the crisis. Some 26,000 service members were sexually assaulted in 2012, according to a report released this summer by the Department of Defense (DOD)-up from 19,000 in 2010. The military’s sexual assault problem has reached epidemic levels. Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
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