by Leah Christensen
Member since:
May 30, 2006

Lawsuit: Sexual assault of military women condoned by superiors

March 07, 2011 02:19 AM UTC
views: 0 | 11 people recommend this | comments: 43

WTF is wrong with the Military, that this is still an issue? What is wrong with the "men" who rape these women, and what is wrong with the higher-ups who won't do anything about it?

Lawsuit: Sexual assault of military women condoned by superiors

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (UPI) -- A lawsuit filed Tuesday by women who are serving or have served in the U.S. military charges their superiors ignored or belittled their complaints of sexual assault.

In court papers, the women describe rapes in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan and gang rapes, NBC News reports. One woman, a naval aviator, said she was raped by two airmen two months ago.

Lawyer Susan Burke filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.

The ...

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Comments: 43

George Shaw Mar 7, 2011, 2:25am UTC
It would be unfair to the military to not also recognize that it is tainted by the society from which it comes. There is still a strong misogynist strain in the U.S. society.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 2:31am UTC
Very true, but those higher up should set a better example for those in the field, doing the actual raping. They should take these women's complaints seriously. They should be in positions of power because they earned those positions, and keeping the troops safe from eachother's sexual perversions regardless of gender, should be a part of this responsibility. A commanding officer who fails to take care of the problem, is as bad as the actual rapists.
George Shaw Mar 7, 2011, 2:35am UTC
Oh, I agree, but the fact that the higher-ups are behaving as they are is most likely because they come out of the same misogynist tainted society. Look at the anti-women bill being introduced in the Congress.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 2:54am UTC
Which one? I'm not an American, so I may have missed it. Can you post a link to the bill?

I think there should be a legal requirement, some kind of training, on how not to be a misogynist, in order to get into the military. People who are caught doing what is being done now, should be court marshaled.
George Shaw Mar 7, 2011, 12:09pm UTC
The Republicans in the House recently introduced a bill to change the definition of rape so that they could ban more abortions. They had to withdraw that portion of the bill because of the criticism that developed
George Shaw Mar 7, 2011, 5:40pm UTC
This article isn't an exhaustive list, but it mentions some of the anti-women legislative attempts.

http://www.alternet.org/story/150145/gop_war_on_women%3A_conservatives_are_intent_on_curtailing_our_rights_and_freedoms?akid=6611.44100.I3leEU&rd=1&t=9
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:25pm UTC
Oh yeah, I did hear about that. My husband told me about it. If they want to do that, then it should be perfectly legal for the woman to cut off the man's penis, before he has the chance to put it where it doesn't belong. That would result in a lot less abortions.
Teresa T. Mar 7, 2011, 4:43am UTC
This is sick. These women are putting their lives on the line for our country and get this type of treatment??? Our world has gone to hell in a hand-basket!!!
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:25pm UTC
IT SURE HAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diane Huizenga Mar 7, 2011, 6:35am UTC
They can't even be safe serving their country, it's shameful.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:26pm UTC
It sure is!!!
Walker Bennett, SF Author Mar 7, 2011, 7:20am UTC
I have read a lot about this recently from military.com Between that and the forced evangelism, the armed forces are not the place to be any more.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:27pm UTC
You're damn right it isn't!!!!!
Bernard C. Mar 7, 2011, 7:52am UTC
Interesting crossover info - whilst in service surely other rules do apply - at least that is what everyone on the outside is led to believe - anything that happens or occurs within the service then that service has to deal with the problem. Court-Marshall or disciplinary action taken and administered from within the service. Thanks for sharing :-)
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:27pm UTC
Thanks for the comment.
Dorine H. Mar 7, 2011, 9:41am UTC
I've been grinding my teeth about this for a long time, and wonder what it will take to repair the culture.

Walker, what do you mean, "forced evangelism"?
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:28pm UTC
Dorine. Thank you.

I think I read somewhere in Newsweek, about people in the military being forced to go to church, or listen to Christian evangelism regardless of their religion. There was an article in Newsweek a few months ago.

I think religion should be an option, but not something people should be subjected to.
Dorine H. Mar 8, 2011, 1:42pm UTC
Religion is definitely a matter of choice, and forcing any religion on anybody is a form of abuse. Newsweek is a responsible news magazine. I expect to believe what I read there. But that US military members are forced to attend church seems beynd my ability to believe.

Unless of was the funeral of somebody important? I am a Christian, but would not hesitate to attend such a synagogue service or Buddhist temple service on such an occasion, out of respect for the person being buried and not out of thinking somebody might want to convert me!

There might be other occasions when I'd be glad to go to a service of another religion. But I cant imagine being forced to go to, for example, a normal Friday evening synagogue service. If a friend invited me and left me feeling I had a choice, I might very well accept, but woudl bridle at being forced!

The claim pf foprced evangelism is so remopte that it mioght be appropriate to ook up the Newsweek article so as to cite it before making such an astonishing accusation.

Bear in mind that I believe that if the allegation is true, it is unconscionable!
Leah Christensen Mar 8, 2011, 2:43pm UTC
Dorine.

I could not find the article off hand, as I read it a long time ago, but doing a search for the subject, I found this one.

http://baltimorechronicle.com/2007/122207Leopold.shtml

As for weddings, funerals, etc. I agree. I will be a guest in their house of worship. On Feb 19th, Walker and I attended a Baptist wedding.

If you search key words and phrases such as "forced Evangelism" along with "U S Military" or similar, you'll find a lot on the topic.
Dorine H. Mar 8, 2011, 10:35pm UTC
Iteresting sitee. Howeer, AFAIK, Military Ministry is completely voluntry. nobody is forced to attend their meetings or participate. As for "proselytizing", that's a very elastic terms. Is it a general commanding a meeting where he preaches for an hour, or is it one bunk matesimply commenting to another bout what makes him tick? Too often, the latter gets painted like the former. The former is certainly totally against the US Constitution; the latter is completely appropriate under the Bill of Rights. Commenting on one's own beliefs is not the same thing a proselytizing!!! I think Military Ministry falls under the category of things people are free to take or leave while in the military, and therefore is not a scary forced evvangelism thing.

Yakking scarcely understood scare stuff about religion is just as irresponsible as force-feeding religion! Both are inappropriate and can be construed as forms of hate speech.
Hev L. Mar 7, 2011, 10:01am UTC
It has always been an issue and will always be an issue because there will always the guys who think that they are better than the women and also think that women shouldn't be in the military. The only reason I beleive that superiors condone this behavior is because to condone it and cover it up is easier to do then to aknowledge it and have the military name depending on the branch dragged through the mud. Plus it would risk the joining of other women and lets face it we're in need of soldiers because of everywhere we are.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:30pm UTC
If my reputation was on the line, I'd rather do what i needed to do to fix it, than hide. Isn't the military already being dragged through the mud for this? If they stood up and did something about it, it would improve their reputation greatly!
Hev L. Mar 8, 2011, 8:48am UTC
It would but if you think about it no the military's name isn'tbeing harmed all that much. They deny it ever happened therefore there is nothing but suspision.
Patricia J. Mar 7, 2011, 3:11pm UTC
This has been going on since women have been serving and obviously no one is doing anything to change it. Women need to get stronger and start training in hand to hand combat so they can stop the men in their tracks. Once the military has men at sick call instead of on duty, they will probably do something about it!
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:31pm UTC
How are women not being trained? Doesn't one get appropriate combat training upon entering the military? Why would it be different for women?
Patricia J. Mar 8, 2011, 2:11pm UTC
I was in the Navy and we didn't get combat training. Hand to hand combat is not something Navy personnel are expected to handle.
Leah Christensen Mar 8, 2011, 2:59pm UTC
But were men and women not-trained equally?
Patricia J. Mar 8, 2011, 3:08pm UTC
No, men got rifle training, not all women got that.
Leah Christensen Mar 8, 2011, 3:12pm UTC
That's crazy!! If both are not going to get the same training, what is the point? If you're in the military, you should get the same training as everyone else, regardless of gender.
Patricia J. Mar 8, 2011, 3:20pm UTC
I'm sure they do that now, but women didn't serve on ships when I was in the Navy. They were also limited in the overseas billets they could get.
Leah Christensen Mar 8, 2011, 3:37pm UTC
What year were you in the Navy?
Patricia J. Mar 8, 2011, 4:17pm UTC
From 1981 to 1985. Best time of my life.
"2016 " Mar 7, 2011, 3:46pm UTC
Leah,

This makes me ill. Here in United States we have a supreme court case on this very issue, former now retired I should say US ARMY women, who now retired are suing for sexual harrassments and other things that happened to them. Now mind you this is the 21st Century. You would think this stopped decades ago, but has not. It's sickens me to even think this would be ok especially with ranking military members.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:32pm UTC
Well said!
norene t. Mar 7, 2011, 6:24pm UTC
Just horrible.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:32pm UTC
Definitely!
Ed Da Head Toker Mar 7, 2011, 9:51pm UTC
the raped should be able to neuter the rappist and the commanding officer who refuses to act. and both be tossed out of the army after they serve their time in Levenworth.
Leah Christensen Mar 7, 2011, 10:34pm UTC
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the penis that is involved in a rape should be considered a weapon, and that the one at whom it is aimed, should be able to disarm the rapist in whatever manner she sees fit. If someone was going to rape me, I'd fight back the same way I would, as if they were aiming any other weapon at me.

I'd cut it off, and feed it to him!!! Remove the balls, dip them in gold, and make them into earrings, or a necklace, or just mount them over my fireplace as a trophy.
Len Maxwell Mar 8, 2011, 1:30pm UTC
Damn, woman! A trophy over the fireplace? I'd love to hear you explain your "trophy" when guests walk in and spot them.
Leah Christensen Mar 8, 2011, 2:51pm UTC
I'd simply tell them that the guy stuck his man-bits where they shouldn't have been, that he used them as a weapon in which to assault me, and that I was forced to disarm him for my own safety. THAT'S what I'd tell them.
Len Maxwell Mar 8, 2011, 1:31pm UTC
Military or civilian, there's no place in our society for such things to happen. Commanding officers should be held accountable for such things.
Leah Christensen Mar 8, 2011, 2:52pm UTC
Right on!
Diana Raabe Mar 8, 2011, 5:37pm UTC
I've heard / seen far too many horrific stories that confirm this report. Props to Leah for bringing our attention to this problem here on gather.

Please spread the word. Discuss. Vote.

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