U.S. Military Sexual Assaults Vastly Underestimated, New Study Reveals

A recent study indicates that sexual assaults in the U.S. military are significantly higher than official estimates suggest. The Department of Defense reported 35,900 cases in 2021 and 29,000 in 2023, but independent data puts these figures at over 75,000 cases annually. The study underscores ongoing issues despite efforts to address sexual violence.

A recent study indicates that sexual assaults in the U.S. military are significantly higher than official estimates suggest.

The Department of Defense reported 35,900 cases in 2021 and 29,000 in 2023, but independent data puts these figures at over 75,000 cases annually. The study, published by the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, underscores ongoing issues despite years of efforts to address sexual violence within the military.

University of Sheffield Professor Jennifer Greenberg, the study's author, pointed out that force readiness prioritized above all else has allowed internal violence and gender inequalities to persist. The Pentagon issued a statement emphasizing their ongoing effort to prevent sexual assault, assist survivors, and hold offenders accountable. In 2021, new legislation reformed the military justice system, taking prosecution decisions out of commanders' hands, inspired by the tragic case of Vanessa Guillen.

(With inputs from agencies.)