Obama gives Pentagon one year to fix scourge of military sexual assault
US President Barack Obama Friday gave the Pentagon a year to fix the scourge of sexual assaults that have sparked calls for commanders to lose the power to adjudicate such crimes.
The military in August launched a raft of new measures to combat sexual assaults but their action did not appease some lawmakers who want much stronger measures to deal with hundreds of alleged offenses from harassment to rape.
Obama, who has previously warned that sexual assaults harm military moral and US national security, said in a written statement that he had told Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey to continue efforts to prevent and deal with assaults.
“I have also directed that they report back to me, with a full-scale review of their progress, by December 1, 2014.
“If I do not see the kind of progress I expect, then we will consider additional reforms that may be required to eliminate this crime from our military ranks and protect our brave service members who stand guard for us every day at home and around the world.”
The Pentagon measures include ensuring legal representation for sexual assault victims at every step of the judicial process, allowing victims to offer testimony at sentencing hearings and providing more scrutiny from the Pentagon’s inspector general.
More at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/20/obama-gives-pentagon-one-year-to-fix-scourge-of-military-sexual-assault/
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