The number of reported sexual assault cases in the U.S. military has fallen by nearly 4 percent in the past year, driven by a significant drop in incidents in the military, according to a report.
It marked the second straight year of declines, reversing a troubling dynamic that has troubled the U.S. Defense Department for more than a decade.
Leading U.S. defense officials said that while the decline is a positive sign, the number of reported attacks remains too high and the military needs to do more to encourage victims to report these often unsolved crimes.
There were 8,195 reported cases of sexual assault involving military personnel in 2024, compared with 8,515 in 2023, officials said.
In 2022, there were 8,942 reported cases of sexual violence. This increase has raised widespread concern and led to new programs and funding to address the issue.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been made public.
The overall decline was the result of a 13 percent drop in reported sexual assault cases in the military, the largest branch of the armed forces, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.
All other services saw growth. The Navy saw the biggest jump at 4.3%, while the Air Force increased 2.2% and the Marine Corps grew less than 1%.
Of the 8,195 service members, 512 reported an attack that occurred before they entered military service.
The Pentagon urges reporting of such incidents so that victims can receive the help they need. In addition, 641 of the people were civilians who said they were assaulted by a service member.
Despite the decline in reported assaults, sexual assault complaints rose from 2,980 in 2023 to 3,014 last year. Most were filed by female service members, and the vast majority of defendants were men.
The latest report also reflects the first full year since the implementation of new prosecution procedures, which shifted decision-making responsibility to independent lawyers and removed commanders from the process after years of pressure from Congress.
The Pentagon publishes an annual report on the number of sexual assaults reported by or against service members. But because sexual assault is a grossly underreported crime, the department also conducts a confidential survey every two years to get a more complete picture of the problem.
This online survey was conducted last year, so it was not carried out this year.
Defense officials have long argued that the rise in reported attacks is a positive sign, as many people are reluctant to report such incidents both in the military and in the community at large.
They say greater awareness indicates greater trust in the reporting system and greater confidence in the support provided to victims.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
