Levin dropping key provision from military rape bill

[BainsBane]

Last edited Wed Jun 12, 2013, 09:31 AM - Edit history (1)

That provision would have put review of rape cases in the hands of a an independent judicial office rather than the commanding officer of the rape victim. This makes it impossible to effectively prosecute rape in the military, and the armed forces will continue to attract sexual predators. I urge EVERYONE to call Carl Levin's office today to protest this decision.

Levin's phone: [phone]
Select the option to speak with his staffer so that their office is flooded with public opinion on how serious this is. I pointed out that it is not only a key issue for those in the military, but as a party with a majority female electorate, it looks extremely bad that they not take rape seriously. This action only serves to protect rapists and it angers women in particular since so have been assaulted during their lives, while rates in the military are double the civilian population. Men too are subject to higher levels of sexual assault in the military than in the civilian population. The military attracts sexual predators who operate unchecked.

WASHINGTON — In a striking showdown between Senator Carl Levin, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and a member of his own party, Mr. Levin said on Tuesday that he would remove a measure aimed at curbing sexual assault in the military from a defense spending bill.

Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, offered a measure that would give military prosecutors rather than commanders the power to decide which sexual assault crimes to try, with the goal of increasing the number of people who report crimes without fear of retaliation. Mr. Levin, Democrat of Michigan, said he would replace Ms. Gillibrand’s measure — which has 27 co-sponsors, including four Republicans — with one that would require a senior military officer to review decisions by commanders who decline to prosecute sexual assault cases. Although Mr. Levin’s measure would change the current system, it would keep prosecution of sexual assault cases within the chain of command, as the military wants.

Mr. Levin’s decision to support military brass in their resistance to Ms. Gillibrand’s proposal sets up a confrontation between a long-serving chairman of the committee with strong ties to the armed forces and a relatively new female member — one of a record seven women serving on the committee — who has made sexual assault in the military a signature issue.

“They basically embrace the status quo here,” said Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, a co-sponsor of Ms. Gillibrand’s bill. “It’s outrageous.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/us/politics/proposed-measure-to-curb-sexual-assault-in-military-to-be-cut-from-bill.html

[BainsBane]

1. Cross-posted in GD

Please keep it kicked.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022998931