WASHINGTON — The U.S. military moves another step closer to overhauling how it deals with sexual assault investigations.
The Pentagon's "Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault" published its full report Friday.
The key provision in the 300-page document would remove decisions on prosecuting sexual assault cases from suspects' unit commanders, and have the cases handled instead by independent special victims prosecutors.
"The military justice system is not well equipped to handle sensitive crimes like sexual assault and domestic violence," said Lynn Rosenthal, who chaired the Independent Review Commission On Sexual Assault. "These crimes are inner-personal in nature and have the potential to be re-traumatizing for victims in their cases moving forward. So they need specialized care and handling by independent military special victims prosecutors.
President Joseph R. Biden put his stamp of approval on the plan, saying: "Sexual assault is an abuse of power and an affront to our shared humanity."
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also backed the report.
"President Biden and Secretary [Lloyd] Austin have been very clear about their commitment to address sexual assault in the military, and the decision to adopt the recommendations of the IRC is proof that they are treating this issue with the urgency it deserves," he said. "As I have said, the scourge of sexual assault in our military must come to an end, and after years of trying and failing to address the problem the time has come to remove the prosecution of sexual assault crimes from the chain of command."
Smith continued: “As Congress considers the legislative path forward to implement reforms to address sexual assault in the military, the House Armed Services Committee will convene a public hearing so that members can hear directly from the IRC. I look forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration and my colleagues in Congress to identify the best policy solution for our service members and deliver results.”