From the Ranch

From the Ranch

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

In 2011 This Article Appeared in a San Diego Newspaper Online, There were No Comments Made... Until Today.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/16/military-more-than-300-sexual-assaults-reported/?page=3#article-copy

This initiative spoke of by Camp Pendleton was started in 2011, last year they had the second highest number of reported sexual assaults of any military installation the the country.  Evidently their efforts are not yielding results. Perhaps they need a different plan.

I left these comments:

I do not think the base at Camp Pendleton is responding to Military Sexual Trauma in a wise and just way. When today there is news of a Marine who reported rape being charged with adultery, and the Marine who stated, "I didn't know she was married, and she didn't seem too drunk to me to consent to sex," isn't charged with anything. Her husband is a Marine as well. What is the message the commander sends with this prosecution? The one I get is if you have been raped at Camp Pendleton, keep your mouth shut... or else...

 When your record as an institution concerning Military Sexual Trauma is that which Camp Pendleton's is, when there are young women, (and men,) who claim to have been sexually assaulted at Camp Pendleton, and refused justice, who have taken their own lives as a result... this action is unconscionable. Whether she is guilty of adultery or not, the reputation of Camp Pendleton demands different actions.

 I would suggest to Rep Bradley, the only hope for true justice for every victim of Military Sexual Violence is to take these cases out of the UCMJ, and allow prosecution by civilian courts.

 Things like prosecution for adultery by persons who claim rape, do not exist for a civilian. When terms like "party barracks" are used in national news stories concerning murders which happen at Camp Pendleton, or "sex cult," or chaos,.. the problem is not people committing adultery.

 Those who have served in the military are familiar with the term "command climate."

No comments:

Post a Comment