Sexual assault in the military addressed by Congress, ignored by Pentagon

It was a relief to learn about Congress' hearing last week on the prevalence of sexual assault in the military. Considering the alarmingly high rates of sexual assault and increasing findings of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that female vets have been experiencing, this is long overdue. Ingrid Torres bravely testified:

"The road after sexual assault is a long and challenging one. As is typical of violent crime, I suffer from PTSD, violent nightmares, and depression. I still wake in the night, he still comes after me in my dreams... Because of the impending courts martial, I was advised not to talk openly about the case, which caused rumors and misconceptions to run rampant. There was no escaping it and no making it better. The hostility grew with my silence...Ultimately, our society still publicly and privately tries the victims in sexual assault cases. Rape is the only crime where the victim has to prove their innocence."

It was just as sad to find the Department of the Defense was a no-show. Paul Rieckhoff, blogging at the Huffington Post, says Pentagon officials ordered the head of their Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) not to appear at the hearing. Because of this, Congress could subpoena -- meaning that unless she shows before the Committee, she could risk being held in contempt of Congress. I truly hope the Pentagon steps up and takes responsibility now for these heinous crimes being committed under their noses, rather than allow this woman to be scapegoated. Rieckhoff writes:

What happened to taking care of our own? Our military brass seems to have forgotten that rule -- one that I learned as a private in Basic Training -- and a rule that American servicemembers have upheld for generations. It's a sad day when one of the military's proudest traditions, the commitment of servicemembers to protect and defend one another, must be enforced by Congressional subpoena. We can and must do better.

Hear, hear.