WASHINGTON - The number of reported sexual assaults across the military shot up by more than 50 percent this year, an increase that defense officials say suggests that victims are becoming more willing to come forward after a year that shined a spotlight on the crimes and put pressure on the military to take aggressive action.
A string of high-profile assaults and arrests drew attention in Congress and set off months of debate over how to change the military justice system, and military leaders launched a series of new programs intended to beef up accountability and encourage victims to come forward.
According to early data obtained by The Associated Press, there were more than 5,000 reports of sexual assault filed during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, compared with 3,374 in 2012. Of those 2013 reports, about 10 percent involved assaults that occurred before the victim got into the military, up from 4 percent a year ago. That increase, officials said, suggests that confidence in the system is growing and that victims are more willing to come forward.
Asked about the preliminary data, defense officials were cautious in their conclusions. But they said surveys, focus groups and repeated meetings with service members throughout the year suggest that the number of assaults - including unwanted sexual contact, harassment and violent assaults - has remained largely steady.
“Given the multiple data points, we assess that this is more reporting,” said Col. Alan Metzler, deputy director of the Pentagon’s sexual-assault prevention and response office. He also noted that more victimsare agreeing to make official complaints, rather than simply seeking medical care without filing formal accusations.
The military has long struggled to get victims to report sexual harassment and assault in a stern military culture that emphasizes rank, loyalty and toughness. Many victims have said they were afraid to report assaults to ranking officers, or that their initial complaints were rebuffed or ignored.
As a result, the crime has been vastly underreported - a fact that became evident when officials announced earlier this year that an anonymous survey had revealed about 26,000 service members reported some type of unwanted sexual contact or sexual assault.
According to the latest numbers, the increase in reports across the services ranges from a low of about 45 percent for the Air Force to a high of 86 percent for the Marines, the smallest service. The Navy had an increase of 46 percent, and the Army, the largest military service, had a 50 percent jump.
Jill Loftus, director of the Navy’s sexual-assault program, which also includes the Marine Corps, said the increase in reporting also suggests that more service members are starting to understand what types of behavior constitute harassment or assault.
She said that on the basis of Navy surveys, “we are not seeing a perception that the number of incidents are going up.”
Meanwhile, a myriad of sexual-assault arrests and scandals, including an Air Force commander’s decision to dismiss sex-assault charges against another officer who had been convicted of multiple offenses, got the attention of Congress.
On Friday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the data shows that bold changes are needed to get more victims to report the abuses without fearing retaliation or worrying that nothing will be done.
“These numbers further confirm the epidemic of sexual assault that exists in the military,” said Gillibrand, one of several women in the Senate who pushed for changes in the military justice system. “We must do more to weed out these offenders and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Legislation signed Thursday by President Barack Obama prevents commanders from overturning jury conviction for sexual assault, requires a civilian review when commanders decline to prosecute, requires dishonorable discharge or dismissal for those convicted, eliminatesthe statute of limitations for courts-martial in rape and sexual-assault cases, and criminalizes retaliation against victims who report an assault.
As Congress debated changes in the military’s justice system, the Pentagon and the services instituted new training programs that targeted rank-and-file service members as well as top commanders and officers.
Several of the new programs were aimed at encouraging service members to be more vigilant and to look out for each other and intercede if they saw bad situations developing. There also were moves to restrict alcohol sales because drinking has long been associated with sexual assault and harassment.
Defense officials beat back efforts to more drastically revamp the military justice system, which would take authority away from commanders and allow victims of rape and sexual assault to go outside the chain of command for prosecutions.
Still, military leaders acknowledge a lot of work remains to be done.
Metzler said the goal for this year is to continue efforts to increase reporting while also working more directly to reduce the number of victims.
“We’re still not where we want things to be,” said Metzler. “But we think all of this is having an effect.”
Front Section, Pages 1 on 12/28/2013