“The Pentagon’s Shameful Record on Rape”

In the years since the death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Iraq and the beginning of the effort of her family to determine whether, as suspected, LaVena died as a result of sexual assault and murder, the most appalling revelation has been the emerging record of such crimes against women in the armed forces. Helen Benedict’s award-winning article in Salon – “The Private War of Women Soldiers,” the basis of her forthcoming book, The Lonely Soldier – was for many a startling introduction to the story of rising sexual assault in the US military. “Appalling” is indeed the word for the services’ lack of response – or willful disregard – toward the issue. Christy Hardin Smith, a principal blogger at Firedoglake and herself a survivor of rape, excoriates the military in her recent post, “The Pentagon’s Shameful Record on Rape.” Moved to address the issue here by LaVena’s story, she quotes statistics from Rep. Jane Harman:

…Women serving in the US military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq.

The scope of the problem was brought into acute focus for me during a visit to the West Los Angeles VA Center, where I met with female veterans and their doctors. My jaw dropped when the doctors told me that 41% of female veterans seen there say they were victims of sexual assault while in the military and 29% report being raped during their military service….

Referencing the recent Truthdig article by retired Army Colonel Ann Wright, Smith remarks on the shameful and uncooperative response of the Department of Defense to the hearings on military sexual assault held by the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs (a branch of the House Committee on Government Oversight And Reform) and notes the refusal of the DoD to allow a critical witness to testify:

The Pentagon, openly sneering at Congress, refuses to allow the person in charge of rape programs and investigations to testify before the Oversight Committee. And note that the DOD declined to testify about Ms. Jones case as well when there were hearings. Taking that job seriously, aren’t they? Someone should ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates why the Pentagon is AWOL on this issue.

Smith continues:

In the case of military personnel, a number of these go unreported because there is a perception that reporting a rape can hurt your career path — especially if the rape perpetrator is a superior officer. And only 8 percent of all military rapes that are even reported go to courts martial. 8 percent.

That is quite simply unacceptable. Especially given that rape isn’t inevitable — it is a violent crime. Men and women in the military who have been sexually assaulted — or anyone who has survived it — can put details on the table that would break your heart. But they should not have to do so.

Lavena Johnson — along with any other potential rape or assault victim — deserves to have the crimes committed against her taken seriously. Because you can be certain that while a rape or assault victim is struggling to get away from the rapist, and then struggling to lift their head above the aftermath to survive it — they are taking it very seriously. We should expect no less concern from the Pentagon on these issues. Shame on them.

“The Pentagon’s Shameful Record on Rape” is crucial reading. We are grateful to Smith for her personal courage in telling her story, and relating it to the need to push for a full and open investigation of the circumstances behind LaVena Johnson’s death.