US military women reporting rise in sexual abuse: Pentagon

Sexual harassment and abuse of women in the US military continues to be a “persistent problem”, according to a newly released government report.

Approximately one out of five military women said they have been victims of unwanted sexual contact by another service member, according to a 2011 Pentagon health survey report released on Monday.

Among all the armed forces, the Marine Corps scored the highest rate with nearly 30 percent of women reporting cases of sexual abuse by another troop member, followed by the Army and Navy each with about 24 percent of women who reported abuse.

“Obviously, this report is very alarming,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the personnel subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, adding that victims of sexual assault are hesitating to complain to superior officers for fear of retribution or skepticism from commanders.

Gillibrand said the report highlights the need for proper legislation to protect women who are abused while serving in the US military.

About 19,000 sex crimes have taken place in the military each year, according to the Pentagon report.

Women account for 95 percent of the victims of sexual assault in the US military, with violent sexual crime increasing by 60 percent since 2006.

Experts say that sexual assault within the US military has become so widespread that a female soldier is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire.