PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Urge the DoD to Ensure Privacy for Civilian Victims of Rape and Sexual Assault
  1. Signatures
    588 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Brandann Hill-Mann
    Brimley, MI
About this Petition Petition Letter

Civilians attached to military bases need have the same privacy options offered to military members when reporting rape and sexual assault.

This includes the option to file a "restricted report," which allows for the victim's and alleged assailant's names to be kept private from military chains of command until the vicitm is ready to move forward.

To encourage victims to get the help they need, we must make the process as easy as possible.

Tell the Department of Defense to extend the same protections to civilian women attached to military bases as they do to women in uniform.

Photo: procristination

Recent Signatures

Military Civilians Deserve Privacy When Reporting Sexual Assault and Rape

Greetings,

The military offers victims of rape and sexual assault the option to file what is known as "restricted reporting." This allows a victim to report the crime and seek medical attention and counseling while keeping their name, and the name of the alleged assailant, private from military chains of command. Evidence can be gathered, and the victim has up to a year to decide to move to an unrestricted report, leading to a possible prosecution.

Civilians, such as military spouses, are not offered this protection except in cases of domestic violence. In all other cases, the victim's name can be disclosed to a chain of command where it can be leaked to anyone. A victim can also be forced to file charges if they want to seek medical attention or any other social services.

Command notification is a huge barrier to reporting for victims of rape and sexual assault. Fear that their own or a spouse's command will be privy to all of the details of the most painful moments of the most vulnerable time of their life is enough to deter a victim from coming forward at all. Getting proper care for the victim of these crimes must be our foremost concern when prevention has failed.

Restricted reporting constitutes approximately 25 percent of the military's sexual assault and rape reports according to Kaye Whitley, director of the military’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. Offering the option of restricted reporting to civilians affiliated with military personnel, such as spouses, may increase the chances that a victim will be encouraged to come forward, and perhaps even file an unrestricted report in the future.

Please urge the Department of Defense to correct this oversight immediately. We need to focus on care for the victim and make sure that they are saved from public shame while they work towards healing and getting the proper care.

[Your name]

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