Duckworth: Military Must Reduce Barriers to Reporting Sexual Assault

At today’s Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Hearing, U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) discussed the obstacles that can prevent victims of sexual assault from reporting it. In particular, Duckworth asked military leaders about the practice of disciplining victims of sexual trauma for other actions unrelated to an assault, like if they had been drinking underage when the incident occurred. This practice is a significant barrier that can deter victims of sexual assault from reporting crimes and harms the military’s readiness, recruitment and retention efforts. Connect with Senator Tammy Duckworth online: Visit Senator Tammy Duckworth’s website: https://bit.ly/2T1YNN4 Like Senator Tammy Duckworth on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2UaYBaX Follow Senator Tammy Duckworth on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2H6f24D Follow Senator Tammy Duckworth on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2NB8FHO