On this edition of Your Call, we’re discussing the epidemic of sexual assault in the military. In 2020, of the more than 6,200 sexual assault reports made by US service members, only half ended in convictions.
Last year, the murder of Specialist Vanessa Guillén in Fort Hood, Texas sparked a nationwide reckoning. For nearly a decade, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, has introduced legislation to put independent prosecutors in charge of prosecuting major military crimes, rather than than chain of command. Advocates say two Senators, James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, and Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, are blocking the legislation.
Guest:
Col. Don Christensen, former Chief Prosecutor of the US Air Force and President of Protect Our Defenders, a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to ending sexual violence, victim retaliation, sexual prejudice and racism in the military
Web Resources:
The New York Times Magazine, Melinda Wenner Moyer: ‘A Poison in the System’: The Epidemic of Military Sexual Assault
The New York Times, Jennifer Steinhauer: Biden Supports Changing Military Law on Sexual Assault Cases
The New York Times, The Two Men Blocking Military Sexual Assault Reform
The Augusta Chronicle, Abraham Kenmore: Changes for military sexual assault, major crimes may pass Congress
KALW: #IAmVanessaGuillén: Survivors Share Sexual Assault Stories In The Military & Demand Systemic Change
