For the past few months the military has been struggling to develop a way to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, the problem of sexual assault within the ranks. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel released a statement on Thursday outlining the steps that will be taken to help change the culture of the U.S. military, according to USA Today.
"When a crime does occur, we must ensure that victim's rights are respected, they are provided responsive and timely support, and related investigations and judicial proceedings, if appropriate, are conducted in a thorough, professional and fair manner," Hagel said in a statement. "Remember, we are all responsible for eliminating this crime from our ranks."
The announcement comes at a time when Congress is considering taking actions to completely overhaul the way that sexual assaults are handled within the military. The Pentagon has been fighting against having crimes such as sexual assault tried by independent prosecutors; the Pentagon believes that cases must stay within the chain of command in order to maintain discipline, according to Bloomberg.
The charge to change the military's system in congress has been led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Gillibrand believes that the estimated 26,000 instances of sexual assault recorded in 2012 is proof that the current system needs to be scrapped, not just tweaked.
"The Pentagon taking action is a good thing, and these are positive steps forward, but it is not the le3ap forward required to solve the problem," Gillibrand said in a statement. "As we have heard over and over again from the victims and the top military leadership themselves, there is a lack of trust in the system that has a chilling effect on reporting [sexual assaults]."
Some of the changes that were proposed by Secretary Hagel, according to USA Today:
To enforce a prohibition of relationships between instructors and green troops.
Allow commanders to transfer soldiers accused of sexual assault to different units. The current system allows for victims to request a move, although there is no guarantee that it will be granted.
Setting up a program to provide legal advice to victims.
Requiring a military lawyer be present for Article 32 hearings involving sexual assault.
"Sexual assault is a stain on the honor of our men and women who honorably serve our country, as well as a threat to the discipline and the cohesion of our force," Hagel said. "It must be stamped out."
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., was critical of the proposed initiatives saying that there is nothing in the changes that will prevent sexual assaults from occurring, according to USA Today.
"Overall, there is nothing here that will significantly curb sexual predators and their behavior, nothing that will guarantee the safety of victims who report abuse, and nothing that will fix the ongoing problems keeping cases inside the chain of command," Speier said.
