{"id":54818,"date":"2021-04-29T16:52:40","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T16:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/04\/29\/major-overhaul-in-how-the-military-handles-sexual-misconduct-cases-may-finally-happen\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:38:12","slug":"major-overhaul-in-how-the-military-handles-sexual-misconduct-cases-may-finally-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/04\/29\/major-overhaul-in-how-the-military-handles-sexual-misconduct-cases-may-finally-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"Major overhaul in how the military handles sexual misconduct cases may finally happen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the last decade, advocates for sexual assault victims have pushed unsuccessfully for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/04\/22\/end-commanders-power-to-block-military-sex-cases-pentagon-panel-says\/\" target=\"_blank\">sweeping reforms<\/a> to how military leaders handle those legal cases within the Defense Department\u2019s justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that all could change this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, a sizable bipartisan coalition of Senate lawmakers announced their latest push to remove sexual misconduct cases from the traditional military chain of command, establishing instead an independent counsel\u2019s office to oversee the cases. The move comes one week after an independent Pentagon review commission recommended that independent authorities handle those cases, arguing they would be better qualified to deal with the complexities of evidence gathering and prosecutorial decisions than military leaders unfamiliar with the cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/04\/23\/end-commanders-power-to-block-military-sex-cases-pentagon-panel-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6589726.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">End commanders\u2019 power to block military sex assault cases, Pentagon panel says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The recommendation by an independent review commission goes against decades of vehement Pentagon arguments to keep cases within the chain of command.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The congressional proposal, led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has gained support among lawmakers over the years as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/04\/30\/a-culture-that-fosters-sexual-assaults-and-sexual-harassment-persists-despite-prevention-efforts-a-new-pentagon-study-shows\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pentagon promises to curb harassment and abuse<\/a> in the ranks has failed to materialize. At Thursday\u2019s event, Gillibrand was joined in support of the move by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, two of the more vocal opponents to the idea in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The measure has failed in the Senate in recent years by a margin of just a few votes. Changing the minds of just a handful of the top critics could mean a completely different result this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis really has been an evolution for me,\u201d said Ernst, an Army National Guard veteran and herself a sexual assault survivor. \u201cWhile I didn\u2019t [in the past] support taking this decision out of the chain of command, I said I would always keep an open mind. And if we didn\u2019t see things change, then perhaps it would be time to make those changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon leaders have long opposed the idea of taking the potential criminal cases out of the hands of unit commanders, arguing that it removes the responsibility of maintaining good order and discipline among their troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reports of sexual assaults have risen steadily over the last 15 years, according to Defense Department records. In 2019, the latest year for which data is available, military leaders received more than 7,800 reports of sexual assault among troops, but acknowledged the actual number of cases could be several times that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite public focus on the issue, the conviction rate for alleged attackers in those military cases has decreased over the last decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve seen flag officers come to Capitol Hill for years promising they are going to tackle this problem,\u201d said Tom Porter, executive vice president of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. \u201cIt\u2019s not working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gillibrand has long argued that shows that military leaders either don\u2019t know how to properly handle the cases or are apathetic to solving the cultural problem of sexual misconduct within the ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[Service members] are more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow service member than be shot by the enemy at war,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s clear that this system is not working \u2026 I\u2019ve heard from so many survivors who bravely came forward in search of justice, only to have their cases outright declined, and then face more harassment and retaliation because they came forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gillibrand\u2019s legislation calls for handling of \u201cserious crimes\u201d by specially trained military prosecutors, but carved out exceptions for cases involving \u201cmilitary crimes\u201d like failure to obey orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/02\/24\/plan-to-remove-handling-of-military-sexual-misconduct-from-chain-of-command-sees-new-momentum\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/JAG2-RESIZED.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Plan to remove handling of military sexual misconduct from chain of command sees new momentum<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Pentagon officials have objected to the idea for years, but the new Senate Armed Services Committee chairman says the proposal is back on the table.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cruz said those provisions, coupled with the lack of Pentagon progress on the issue in recent years, won him over to the need for sweeping reforms to the military justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have two daughters who are 13 and 10,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if they\u2019ll choose to serve. But I\u2019m damn sure I want them protected from sexual assault if they do choose to serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is responding to the problem that we\u2019ve heard testimony on year after year after year, which is a commanding officer who has divided loyalties with the assailant and the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said earlier this year that the provision could be included in this year\u2019s defense authorization bill, expected to be passed this fall. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to respond to the commission\u2019s recommendations sometime next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gillibrand said she is hopeful that momentum will lead to the sweeping changes finally being put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere has been no progress, truly no progress, and so many indicators are going in the wrong direction,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s intolerable, and at some point it is our job to provide oversight and accountability to the armed services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is our job, because it is necessary to create a better, more professional system where justice is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several key critics of the proposal are now supportive of the change due to a lack of progress on the issue from military leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":80562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":62,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,89,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-54818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"UXBUW42FMZGBFCVTJSEKPLWW5A","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/04\/29\/major-overhaul-in-how-the-military-handles-sexual-misconduct-cases-may-finally-happen\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Major overhaul in how the military handles sexual misconduct cases may finally happen - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Several key critics of the proposal are now supportive of the change due to a lack of progress on the issue from military leaders.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Major overhaul in how the military handles sexual misconduct cases may finally happen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Several key critics of the proposal are now supportive of the change due to a lack of progress on the issue from military leaders.\" 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