name: geminimay_no
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Shockibg But True Storires - US Soldiers Defenders Of Freedom or HardCore Pimps with the whole world as there Harem? Mr. U.S. Navy 1989-1993
31 January, 2007
Rape in the U.S. Military
By Amy Maki
This past month Amnesty International launched a major campaign against violence against women with a series of press conferences and other events. Violence against women is an international epidemic of horrifying proportions, but what was particularly eyebrow raising about Amnesty’s campaign was their announcement that a major component of their campaign would be against rape and sexual assault against women in the U.S. military.
According to Amnesty International, and other women’s rights groups working with it on this campaign, there has been an alarming rise in the number of rapes and sexual assaults against women in uniform, especially in Iraq. Who is raping American women soldiers in Iraq? Not Baath party loyalists, or the Al Queada terrorists allegedly pouring into the country – but their fellow American soldiers!
Dozens of women in uniform serving in the Middle East have reported being raped or sexually assaulted by their fellow soldiers. Advocacy groups, based on the number of women who have contacted them reporting rape but who haven’t reported it to the military, suggest that actual number of women in uniform being raped is in fact much, much higher.
Following an expose of this alarming situation by Amnesty International and newspapers like the Denver Post, a series of investigations and reports have been issued. The picture that is being painted is that while rape and sexual assault are by no means an unheard of thing in the U.S. military, it definitely seems to be on the rise, particularly in war zones. This is most likely the result of all of the stress and low morale that is affecting U.S. troops having to militarily occupy Iraq and Afghanistan in the face of daily opposition by the Iraqi and Afghan people. The general climate of violence that war creates of course doesn’t help.
Another part of the picture that is being painted is the woefully inadequate way in which the military handles violence against women, be they women in uniform or female dependents on U.S. military bases.
Numerous women have come forwarded reporting that their reports of rape were ignored or were only half-heartedly followed up on. One woman, recently raped while serving in Kuwait, reported that when she reported being raped to her superiors they threatened to charge her with adultery and fraternization!
According to Amnesty International, the Miles Foundation and others, in most instances when rape or assault is reported, the military does not transfer the accused from the unit of the accuser, creating traumatic situation for the victim. Victims of rape receive inadequate testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Trauma counseling is generally very limited, if available at all. And the military often makes public info about the victim, such as their name and location – making it possible for their abusers and attackers to find them again!
But perhaps worst of all is the way the military handles the rapist. According to the Department of Defenses own statistics 74-85% of soldiers convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges (meaning the rape conviction does not appear on their record!). Only 2-3% of soldiers accused of rape are ever court marshaled. And only 5-6% of soldiers accused of domestic abused are ever court marshaled. In fact several multiple homicides have recently taken place on military bases that have not even been criminally prosecuted!
The women who suffer from this treatment, and the groups working with them, describe a culture in the military where officers often cover up such crimes, or pooh-pooh it as “boys will be boys.” Victims are often treated coldly, and made to jump through numerous hoops to try and get their charges acted upon.
At a recent Amnesty International press conference aired on CSPAN, one woman came forward to give an example of the type of treatment women get from the military. Susanne Matucci was married to a sailor in the U.S. navy, and lived with their son on a naval base. Her husband, Frederick, had a long history of abuser her, and despite numerous complaints by Susanne to the Navy, little was done. Then one day her husband came home, tied her and their son up and tried to strangle them to death. Susanne resisted, and as a result survived. But her husband then kidnapped and murdered their son. Even after this horrific event, the Navy failed to adequately provide assistance to Susanne. She was unable to get legal assistance from on base lawyers, and had to fight tooth and nail to get help in moving.
The military’s response to all of these recent exposes has been to deny that there is a serious problem – which is exactly one of the accusations women are making. It claims it wants to prevent rape and abuse against women from taking place, but it fails to provide adequate resources, time, energy or anything else to the matter. The stories of these women alone, not to mention the stories of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, are a powerful condemnation against the attitudes and policies of the U.S. military. Lets not let these women suffer have been in vain!
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Posted by geminimay_no 08:27 |
Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims?
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