WASHINGTON – The number of reported sexual assaults in the military has gone up over the last year, and the Pentagon attributes much of the increase to a new policy that allows victims to report the attacks confidentially.
The military received 2,374 reports of sexual assault in 2005, or 674 more than in the previous year, according to a Defense Department report released Wednesday.
Victims can now report the attacks confidentially through “restricted reporting,” part of an overhaul last year in the way the military treats sexual assaults.
The policy, which took effect in June, is intended to ensure the privacy of victims while encouraging them to pursue prosecution of their attackers. It allows victims to report assaults and get counseling and other treatment anonymously without automatically triggering a formal investigation.
Previously, an investigation was required if the victim wanted to receive help. Investigations were not confidential, leaving accusers vulnerable to retaliation or ostracism.
Of the new sexual assault reports last year, 435 were restricted reports, although 108 of those accusers later decided to allow their case to be investigated.
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