According to the Defense Department’s Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR), 8,866 sexual assaults and crimes were reported last year, up from 7,816 in 2020.
However, only a low proportion of sexual assaults are reported. According to a broader investigation carried out by the SAPR, nearly 36,000 soldiers reportedly suffered unwanted sexual contacts, ranging from touching to rape, during the fiscal year that ended in March 2021, which represents an increase of 35% compared to to the previous year.
From these figures, the office estimated a “prevalence rate” of sexual assaults – reported or not – of 8.4% in women and 1.5% for men in 2021.
“These numbers are tragic and extremely disappointing,” said Beth Foster, director of the US military’s welfare office, highlighting the highest prevalence rate ever detected in women.
Complaints increased from 26% in the army, against 19.2% in the US Navy and 2% in the air force and the marine corps.
“This report demonstrates with terrible accuracy that sexual assault and sexual harassment remain persistent and destructive problems for our soldiers,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a message to the military high command.
President Joe Biden launched military justice reform in January to make sexual assault in the military a crime under military law.
Sexual assaults, domestic violence and assaults against minors will henceforth be tried by a court-martial, and the decision to prosecute those responsible will be entrusted to specialized prosecutors and no longer to the chain of command.
The entrance Sexual assaults in the US military reach record levels was first published in diary TODAY.
