US military is worse than India when it comes to prosecuting rape

by Idéfix Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:42 pm

India has a conviction rate of 26% in rape cases, and that is considered one of the problems with how the Indian system treats violence against women. So I was surprised to hear this on NPR today about the US military: the conviction rate there is less than 10%. And a conviction can be arbitrarily overturned by the convening authority of the court marshal, without providing any reason for the action.

http://www.npr.org/2013/03/21/174840895/sexual-violence-victims-say-military-justice-system-is-broken

Before she ever went to war, during CID training, Haider was raped. With some experience already with the military's attitude toward rape, she decided not to report the attack.

"I've never met one victim who was able to report the crime and still retain their military career," she says. "Not one."

The Department of Defense estimates there are about 19,000 sexual assaults in the military per year. But according to the latest Pentagon statistics, only 1,108 troops filed for an investigation during the most recent yearly reporting period. In that same period, 575 cases were processed — and of those, just 96 went to court-martial.

Haider had endured war. She'd endured rape. It was reporting the crime that drove her out of the Army, after nearly a decade of service.

by Idéfix Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:53 pm

Let's put that number in perspective... 19,000 sexual assaults a year. Let us assume that 90% of those involve a female victim and the rest are against a male victim. The military has 200,000 active duty women, and the average term of service is 4 years according to the Army. That means that an average active duty female soldier has a 34% likelihood of being sexually assaulted during her term of service. If the proportion of victims is not 90-10 but 50-50, the average active duty female soldier has a 19% likelihood of being sexually assaulted.

by Jeremiah Mburuburu Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:02 pm

trofimov wrote:So I was surprised to hear this on NPR today about the US military: the conviction rate there is less than 10%. And a conviction can be arbitrarily overturned by the convening authority of the court marshal, without providing any reason for the action.

"court martial," not "court marshal."

by Idéfix Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:06 pm

Jeremiah Mburuburu wrote:
trofimov wrote:So I was surprised to hear this on NPR today about the US military: the conviction rate there is less than 10%. And a conviction can be arbitrarily overturned by the convening authority of the court marshal, without providing any reason for the action.
"court martial," not "court marshal."

Thank you.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:18 pm

trofimov wrote:India has a conviction rate of 26% in rape cases, and that is considered one of the problems with how the Indian system treats violence against women. So I was surprised to hear this on NPR today about the US military: the conviction rate there is less than 10%. And a conviction can be arbitrarily overturned by the convening authority of the court marshal, without providing any reason for the action.

http://www.npr.org/2013/03/21/174840895/sexual-violence-victims-say-military-justice-system-is-broken

Before she ever went to war, during CID training, Haider was raped. With some experience already with the military's attitude toward rape, she decided not to report the attack.

"I've never met one victim who was able to report the crime and still retain their military career," she says. "Not one."

The Department of Defense estimates there are about 19,000 sexual assaults in the military per year. But according to the latest Pentagon statistics, only 1,108 troops filed for an investigation during the most recent yearly reporting period. In that same period, 575 cases were processed — and of those, just 96 went to court-martial.

Haider had endured war. She'd endured rape. It was reporting the crime that drove her out of the Army, after nearly a decade of service.

Unlike in India - cohabiting and companionship are part of the recognized western culture. This makes it even more difficult to prove rape.

Besides, those in power within both the commissioned and non-comissioned segments know this is a "perk" that has been traditionally available to them. pressuring into sexual relations is common and often justified as consensual. I read that in the Israeli military it is CUSTOMARY for the men to have sex with female recruitees - whether they like it or not. Was reading about Moshe Dayan and apparently there is no military guy in Israeli army who has not had coerced sex with female recruits. It is almost Baptism by sex for female recruitees.

by Propagandhi711 Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:27 pm

uppili, is there a subject on earth that you dont have great insights into, which you then spin into easy to understand homilies?

by Hellsangel Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:16 pm

He knows it all.

by Petrichor Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:39 pm

Hellsangel wrote:He knows it all.

Do you agree with his statements on female conscripts in Israeli Defense Forces?

by Guest Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:56 pm

Hellsangel wrote:He knows it all.

and you know this how?

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