SHAHEEN: WE CANNOT GIVE UP IN THE FIGHT TO END MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today is renewing her call for congress to address the military’s sexual assault crisis by passing the Military Justice Improvement Act after recent reports underscore a need for swift action. In one incident a top Army general was removed from command in Japan for the mishandling of a sexual assault case, only to be reassigned to an important position in the Pentagon, and in another incident, the commander of the Blue Angels has come under investigation for sexual misconduct. 

“These troubling reports highlight the need to implement significant reforms to address the military’s sexual assault crisis,” Shaheen said. “We need to pass legislation like the Military Justice Improvement Act to change the way these heinous crimes are addressed because what we’re doing right now simply isn’t working.”

Shaheen has repeatedly called to reform the way the military addresses sexual assaults and has met with New Hampshire military officials, law enforcement and domestic and sexual violence experts to discuss ways to address the growing epidemic. Late last year, the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act passed including provisions championed by Shaheen to reform military sexual assault investigations and prosecutions.