Senate hears from victims of sexual assault in the military - Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — Survivors of sexual assault in the military urged lawmakers to require independent review of claims, taking the final authority out of the hands of high-ranking officers who have in some cases reversed decisions by military juries. That, they testified in a Senate hearing Wednesday, is the best way to end widespread underreporting of sexual assaults in the military.

In the first Senate examination of sexual assault in the military in nearly a decade, the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel weighed a range of potential solutions to a long-standing problem that permeates every branch of the military.

The controversy was amplified by a recent case in which an Air Force lieutenant general overturned a military jury's verdict and sentence for Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, who had been found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced to one year in prison.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) pressed officers from each branch of the military who were assembled at the hearing on whether they thought justice was served in that case. She asked them whether they thought the jury was mistaken. In her view, Gillibrand said, "justice was not done."

Rebekah Havrilla, a survivor of military sexual assault who has become an advocate of reform through the Service Women's Action Network, said the Wilkerson case was a high-profile instance of a common occurrence in the military.

Of the 2,439 formal reports submitted in 2011, only 240 proceeded to trial. Anonymous surveys of military personnel for the same year showed that 19,000 instances of sexual harassment or assault went unreported in 2011.

Havrilla testified she had endured sexual harassment and been raped while serving in the Army in Afghanistan. She hesitated to report the rape because she had seen previous accusations against her commanding officer go nowhere. Also, she added, "the unit climate was extremely sexist and hostile in nature toward women."

Havrilla and other survivors described an "old boys club" atmosphere among military officers that causes complaints to be suppressed.

Military officers testified about a number of efforts in recent years to improve training of investigators. The Air Force has implemented a pilot program to provide independent counsel for victims.

The officers raised concerns that the outside reviews suggested by reform advocates could threaten the leadership roles of commanding officers and could slow responses to the reports they do receive.

wes.venteicher@latimes.com

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Peer denies sexual harassment claims

21 February 2013 Last updated at 19:24 ET

Lord Rennard is a former Lib Dem chief executive

Senior Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard has strongly denied allegations of sexual impropriety made against him by women who have worked for the party.

The allegations were broadcast by Channel 4 News.

Lord Rennard said there had been no complaints made in his 27 years with the party, but he had temporarily stood aside from the Lib Dems in the Lords to avoid "embarrassment" to the party.

The party has launched a review of how it handles allegations of harassment.

'Total distortion'

Channel 4 News aired allegations by a number of women of sexual impropriety over several years by Lord Rennard, the party's former chief executive,

The women told the news programme he abused his position for years by inappropriately touching and propositioning them.

A statement issued on behalf of Lord Rennard, who is overseeing elections in Armenia, said: "Lord Rennard is deeply shocked by and strongly disputes the allegations made against him in the Channel 4 News broadcast on 21 February. He regards the report as a total distortion of his character.

"Not a single complaint of misconduct was made against him to his knowledge during the 27 years he worked for the Liberal Democrat party. Despite the claim made by one woman in the report, Lord Rennard continued working closely with her for 10 years after the alleged event described."

The statement said he was standing aside from the party's group in the House of Lords, which means he will not be able to vote with his party on any issues.

It said he would also withdraw from the party's federal policy committee, which is responsible for the production of the policies to be debated at the party conference.

"He will remain a member of the Liberal Democrats and will continue to devote himself to good causes through his work in the House of Lords and elsewhere," the statement said.

It added that he would make no further comment "until these matters are resolved".

Immediate review

The Channel 4 report alleged that some of the women had reported the allegations to figures in the party but it was not taken any further or their claims were not taken seriously.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has asked party president Tim Farron to conduct an immediate review into the party's procedures for dealing with allegations of harassment, including an examination of how allegations made in the past have been handled.

A spokesman for Mr Clegg said: "The first he knew of the allegations in the report was after the party was contacted by Channel 4."

A Lib Dem statement later said the newly-formed review group had already had its first meeting.

An internal investigation into the specific allegations raised by Channel 4 News has also begun under the party's disciplinary procedures, it said.

"There are a number of questions that have been raised and our reviews will ensure we properly address all of them," the party said.

"We will not tolerate harassment in our party and we urge anyone to contact the chief executive or use our confidential whistle-blower procedure if they have issues they wish to raise as a result of Channel 4's report."

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