Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Military wary of bills from Blumenthal, others, to combat sexual assaults

  • by Ana Radelat
  • June 4, 2013
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Washington –- The nation’s top military officers agreed that sexual assaults are a severe problem in the ranks, but they cautioned Congress Tuesday against too much  meddling in military affairs.

“Sexual assault and harassment are like a cancer within the force — a cancer that left untreated will destroy the fabric of our force,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno at a Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing.

Yet Odierno also said, “without equivocation, I believe maintaining the central role of the commander in our military justice system is absolutely critical.”

A dozen Pentagon witnesses, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military officers were on the hot seat Tuesday as lawmakers took them to task for the high rates of sexual assault and intimidation in the military.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a former sex crimes prosecutor, said, “predators in your ranks are sullying the great name of our American military.”

She also rebuffed the testimony of some generals that said stronger prosecutions of sex crimes would not solve the problem.

“With all due respect General Odierno, we can prosecute our way out…of the problem of sexual  predators who are not committing crimes of lust. My years of experience in this area is that they are committing crimes of violence,” McCaskilll said.

She and other lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have introduced legislation aimed at fighting sexual assaults. Several bills would strip military commanders of authority over the issue.

McCaskill’s bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., would require that those found guilty of sexual misconduct or attempted misconduct be given a dishonorable discharge from the military.

Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, has introduced a bill that would give military victims of sexual assault the same protections and rights as civilians. Those include protection from the accused, notice and opportunity to speak at trial and the right against unreasonable delay in trial proceedings.

Blumenthal is also a co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., that would remove more serious assault-related prosecutions from the military chain of command to a separate office. 

Gillibrand’s bill has received the most criticisms from military officers. The Air Force’s top officer, Gen. Mark Welsh, said it would strip commanders of authority and their ability to discipline the troops.

Gillibrand countered that many officers resent the presence of women in the military and others are not aware of the seriousness of some sex crimes and “don’t know the difference between a rape and a slap on the ass.”

Blumenthal asked Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, if he would support a proposal that would provide compensation to sexual assault victims “as an incentive for them to come forward, but also as a means of making them whole.”

“Considering someone could get restitution for getting a car robbed, isn’t it appropriate for restitution to go to a victim or survivor of sexual assault?” Blumenthal asked.

Dempsey declined to answer directly, saying instead he  would  “consider all the options presented by 26 pieces of legislation” proposed in Congress.

Among them is a bill sponsored by Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., that would provide those who say they’ve been sexually assaulted with a military lawyer, promote sexual assault-related cases to the general court martial level and bar any sexual contacts between military instructors and their trainees.

That has also been criticized by some in the Pentagon who say it would give the alleged victim too much of an edge over the accused.

But several Pentagon witnesses said they understood why Congress feels it must act. Some of them voiced support for a proposal that would change the Uniform Code of Military Justice and strip commanding officers of the power to toss out a verdict.

A recent Pentagon poll of active-duty military personnel found 6.1 percent of women and 1.2 percent of men reported receiving “unwanted sexual contact” last year. Few of them reported the incidents.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Radelat

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Pandemic relief promises CT temporary aid and hope of permanent change
by Mark Pazniokas

A temporary child tax credit is expected to shrink child poverty and fuel demands for permanent solutions to economic inequality.

Vaccine rollouts discriminates against CT residents of color, federal complaint alleges
by Kelan Lyons

The complaint is at least the second since Feb. 22, when officials announced the vaccine would be distributed by age.

Patricia Billie Miller breaks ground taking Senate seat
by Mark Pazniokas

Patricia Billie Miller is the first woman and first person of color elected to the Connecticut Senate from Stamford.

Right to counsel is just as much a racial justice as a housing policy
by Viewpoints Contributor

Despite the state and federal moratoriums on eviction, nearly 3,000 Connecticut families have faced eviction in the past 10 months. Over half of these families were Black or Latinx, even though these groups combined comprise less than a quarter of the overall population. The stop-gap measures pursued by the state are not enough. Connecticut needs a statewide right to counsel for tenants facing eviction to address the burning housing and racial justice crisis across the state.

We need justice, not politics
by Richard J. Colangelo Jr. and 13 State's Attorneys

The administration of justice should not be political. Prosecutors must be guided by the evidence in a case and the applicable law, not by partisan, political considerations. Political pressure should never sway a prosecutor’s decision-making.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Right to counsel is just as much a racial justice as a housing policy
by Viewpoints Contributor

Despite the state and federal moratoriums on eviction, nearly 3,000 Connecticut families have faced eviction in the past 10 months. Over half of these families were Black or Latinx, even though these groups combined comprise less than a quarter of the overall population. The stop-gap measures pursued by the state are not enough. Connecticut needs a statewide right to counsel for tenants facing eviction to address the burning housing and racial justice crisis across the state.

Opinion We need justice, not politics
by Richard J. Colangelo Jr. and 13 State's Attorneys

The administration of justice should not be political. Prosecutors must be guided by the evidence in a case and the applicable law, not by partisan, political considerations. Political pressure should never sway a prosecutor’s decision-making.

Opinion Assisted suicide lobby spreads falsehoods to promote systemic ableism
by Stephen Mendelsohn

Proponents of assisted suicide repeatedly spread falsehoods to promote their lethal and ableist agenda.  The February 8 op-ed, “Aid in dying is not assisted suicide” is no exception. Suicide is defined as the act of taking one’s life intentionally.  The person who intentionally ingests a prescribed lethal overdose more closely fits the dictionary definition of suicide than the despondent person who jumps off a bridge.  The desire for suicide is a cry for help, even when redefined as a “medical treatment option.”

Opinion TCI will create a fourth gasoline tax
by Christian A. Herb

The Transportation Climate Initiative, or TCI, calls for a proposed emissions fee on gasoline to help battle climate change. On the surface, supporters say it is a small price to pay to help save the planet; and if you truly believe that this is the case, then you should consider voting for it. Despite the administration’s efforts to go out of their way to not call TCI a tax, the simple truth is that it will only create additional financial hardships on lower- and middle-income families struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO