Joint Chiefs, Defense Secretary Split on Military Justice for Sex Assault Victims

The nation’s top military leaders are sharply divided over a proposal to take sexual assault cases out of the chain of command, according to conflicting statements from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Joint Chiefs. In a letter to Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the Joint Chiefs  said a bill which would remove the prosecution of sexual assault and domestic violence cases from the military chain of command, would undermine military leadership, the Wall Street Journal reported

However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced he will work with Congress to back the bill, which represents a promising decision for sexual assault victims, according to Yahoo News. An Independent Review Commission, which Austin appointed to examine sexual assault and harassment in the military, recommended that independent military lawyers reporting to a special victims prosecutor should decide whether to court-martial members of the military accused of sexual assault, sexual harassment or domestic violence. Currently, military commanders are responsible for this determination, and advocates say cases of sexual assault are vastly mishandled and underreported. Bipartisan members of the House of Representatives will introduce their version of the legislation today. See also: Crime and Accountability in the Navy Seals.