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Female soldiers more likely to be raped by colleagues than killed by enemy fire
Women serving in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq. In 2006, 2,947 sexual assaults were reported -- 73% more than in 2004. The Department of Defense's newest report, released this month, indicates that 2,688 reports were made in 2007, but a recent shift from calendar-year reporting to fiscal-year reporting makes comparisons with data from previous years much more difficult.
At the heart of this crisis is an apparent inability or unwillingness to prosecute rapists in the ranks. According to DOD statistics, only 181 out of 2,212 subjects investigated for sexual assault in 2007, including 1,259 reports of rape, were referred to courts-martial, the equivalent of a criminal prosecution in the military. Another 218 were handled via nonpunitive administrative action or discharge, and 201 subjects were disciplined through "nonjudicial punishment," which means they may have been confined to quarters, assigned extra duty or received a similar slap on the wrist. In nearly half of the cases investigated, the chain of command took no action; more than a third of the time, that was because of "insufficient evidence." Women serving in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq. In 2006, 2,947 ... more
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