Washington:
US President Joe Biden on Friday endorsed removing the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault instances in the armed forces from the military chain of command.
The recommendation was one of the chief proposals made by an independent commission set up by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin to look into the handling of sexual assault in the military.
Austin mentioned he would work with Congress to amend military justice laws and take away the prosecution of instances of sexual assault, domestic violence and youngster abuse from the military chain of command.
Dedicated offices in each and every military division would be developed to manage the prosecution of such instances, the defense secretary mentioned.
Currently, commanders are accountable for the investigation and prosecution of crimes allegedly committed by their subordinates, a method critics say generally presents conflicts of interest and other challenges.
The proposed adjustments have been an “overdue step in the right direction”, Biden mentioned.
“We need concrete actions that fundamentally change the way we handle military sexual assault and that make it clear that these crimes will not be minimized or dismissed,” he mentioned in a statement.
“I look forward to working with Congress to implement these necessary reforms and promote a work environment that is free from sexual assault and harassment for every one of our brave service members.”
More than a dozen commanders and unit leaders have been sacked in December soon after a series of murders and sex crimes at a key US military base.
Among the victims was Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old army soldier who was murdered by a fellow soldier soon after becoming sexually harassed and telling her family she did not trust the military command to comply with up on her complaint.
According to the Defense Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, there have been 7,816 sexual assault complaints in the armed forces in 2020, a slight fall from the record 7,825 of 2019.
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