DOD Releases Annual Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Report
"The Department of Defense today released the fiscal 2009 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military.

In fiscal 2009, a total of 3,230 restricted and unrestricted reports of sexual assault were filed, involving military members as either victims or subjects, which is an 11 percent increase from fiscal 2008. There were 714 restricted reports filed in fiscal 2009. Under the restricted (confidential) reporting option, service members may choose to obtain medical, mental health care and other services without becoming involved in the military criminal justice process. This year, 123 victims converted their reports from restricted to unrestricted, which is included in the overall total of 2,516 unrestricted reports.

“One sexual assault is too many. As such, the best way to combat sexual assault is to prevent it,” said Clifford L. Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

To advance the prevention of sexual assault, the department provided its DoD Sexual Assault Prevention Strategy to the senior leaders of each military service and the National Guard Bureau in fiscal 2009. Each military service held leadership summits in fiscal 2009, keynoted by their service secretary, chief of staff and commandant of the Marine Corps, to emphasize the importance of command’s role in prevention. The department also deployed a multimedia prevention campaign, “My Strength is for Defending: Preventing Sexual Assault is Part of My Duty,” across the military services.

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