Military sexual assault reports were up 50 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and officials say this “may suggest that victims are becoming more willing to come forward” after the military faced intense pressure to deal with such reports more aggressively.
According to the Associated Press, there were more than 5,000 sexual assaults reported in the FY that ended September 30. There were 3,374 for FY 2012.
Of the 5,000 reported for 2013, about 500 “involved incidents that occurred before the victim got into the military.” That number is up “from…4 percent only a year ago.”
Navy sexual assault program director Jill Loftus said the increase in reporting “also suggests that more service members are starting to understand what types of behavior constitute harassment or assault.”
She does not believe the number of assaults is rising, just the number of military personnel willing to report it.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins
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