2. CURRENT LEGISLATION ON
MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA
Secretary of Defense,
Dick Cheney (1992)
“Well, we’ve got a major effort under
way to try to educate everybody, to let
them know we have a zero tolerance
policy where sexual assault is involved.”
3.
4. Military Justice Improvement Act
Slide credit to Annie Wynne: CSP- INC; Project HER
• Senator Kristin Gillibrand
• Strengthens military justice for both the victim and
the accused by balancing concerns of victims with
the rights of the accused
• Placing charging decisions under the authority of
experienced, impartial military prosecutors
increases the likelihood that decisions are made
based on the law alone rather than on political
pressure, internal politics, or any compromising
factor
• Current Status: Sent to Senate & House for
consideration
5. Ruth Moore Act of 2013
Slide credit to Annie Wynne: CSP- INC; Project HER
• The bill is named after veteran Ruth Moore, a
woman who was raped twice and then spent 23
years trying to get the benefits
• Improve the disability compensation evaluation
procedure of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for
veterans with mental health conditions related to
military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.
• Proof of service-connected diagnosis from layperson
• No official record needed
• Any diagnosis related to MST would be covered
• Current status: Passed the House in June 2013
6. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General
MARTIN DEMPSEY – May, 17 2013:
"You might argue that we have become
a little too forgiving because, if a
perpetrator shows up at a court-
martial with a rack of ribbons and has
four deployments and a Purple Heart,
there is certainly the risk that we
might be a little too forgiving of that
particular crime." (in response to a
question regarding sexual assault
crimes)
7. CA Assembly Bill 2545
Slide credit to Annie Wynne: CSP- INC; Project HER
• Bill would allow military personnel to apply for the
Victims of Crime Compensation Program even if the
sexual assault was not reported to a superior officer or
law enforcement at the time of the crime.
• The bill would set forth types of evidence of sexual
assault the board would be required to consider in these
cases, for purposes of determining if a claim qualifies for
compensation.
• The bill would require both the perpetrator and the
victim to be active duty military personnel at the time
the sexual assault occurred for these provisions to apply
• Current Status: Passed by committee to consent
calendar
11. Medical Considerations for Rape Related
Pregnancy During Service Time
• Before 2010, deployed US soldiers did not have access to
pregnancy prophylaxis following an assault
• Policy within the US Military is undecided and shifting
depending on political climate
• Dec. 2011 Congress voted NOT to fund abortions in
the case of rape related pregnancy
• Dec. 2012 Congress changed their mind and now
allows abortions in the case of rape
• The culture in which deployments occur do not have the
medical support for prophylaxis or abortion care
12. Rape Specific Pregnancy
• According to a 2000 report, 4.7% of rapes result in pregnancy.
An estimated 32,000 pregnancies from rape occurred in 2000
alone (Stewart & Trussell, p. 228).
• Lathrop (1997) has stated that “Estimates based on a single
random coitus model derived from ovulation, fertility, and
probability data suggest a 4%–10% likelihood that a given
rape will result in pregnancy” (p. 25).
• Gil (2001) stated, “[E]xternal factors can activate
neuroendogenous endocrine paths that exist but which are not
normally involved in ovulation,” a triggering of the endocrine
pathways that can cause premature ovulation and create a
higher potential for pregnancy (p. 1).
13. Rape specific Pregnancy
• In commentary published in 2000, researchers described
pregnancy from rape as a “public health issue,” estimating
that from 333,000 sexual assaults reported in 1998, 25,000
pregnancies resulted (Stewart & Trussel, 2000, p. 228)
• Importance of emergency contraception within 72 hours of a
sexual assault
• In another journal article, researchers cited the rape-related
pregnancy rate as 5% among victims of reproductive ages (12
to 45), and that an estimated 32,101 pregnancies result from
rape each year (Holmes, Resnick, Kilpatrick, & Best, 1996, p.
320).
• In that same study, Holmes et al. reported that 32.2% of rape victims
kept the infant, 11.8% had a spontaneous abortion, 50% chose abortion,
and 5.9% chose adoption.
14. Military Abortion
• Most military doctors are not trained to
perform abortions & have religious convictions
against it
• “Most women in the U.S. military in Europe
cannot get abortions, despite changes in Defense
Department policy, because nearly all doctors
refuse to perform the procedure, a newspaper
reported Wednesday. The Stars and Stripes, the
unofficial military newspaper, quoted Army, Air
Force and Navy officials as saying not enough
doctors and nurses are willing to perform first-
trimester abortions”. (AP, Chicago Tribune, 1997)
15. James F. Amos, April 19, 2013
•"Why wouldn't female
Marines come forward?
Because they don't trust us.
They don't trust the
command. They don't trust
the leadership.”
16. Thank you for listening today.
Kristen Zaleski, PhD, LCSW
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Southern California
School of Social Work
Kristen.Zaleski@usc.edu
