U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-IL) on Wednesday spoke out in favor of the Ruth Moore Act, legislation that will make it easier for victims of sexual assault in the military to receive benefits by lowering the standard of proof for mental health conditions.
Dold discussed the bill during one of his Solutions Roundtable Series events, which brought together local community organizations for a discussion regarding the care of female veterans.
“Ignoring sexual assault in the military is an affront to the service of our nation’s heroes and an embarrassment for our country,” Dold said.
The legislation is named for Maine resident Ruth Moore, who was raped twice soon after enlisting in the Navy in the early 1990s. Moore reported the assaults, but her attacker was never charged with a crime or disciplined. Moore was reported as suffering from mental illness and later discharged from the Navy. After fighting legal battles for more than two decades, Moore’s plight was finally acknowledged last year when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) agreed to pay her all of the benefits that were originally denied.
The issue of military sexual assault is a growing concern. More than 19,000 sexual assaults occurred in the military in 2010, according to the Pentagon. Of that number, only 13 percent of victims reported the attacks. Only approximately 8 percent of reported cases in 2011 went to trial and only approximately 1 percent of attackers were eventually convicted.
By lowering the standard of proof for mental health conditions, the legislation is similar to the VA’s recent reforms to the standard of proof for combat veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“While we can never make up for the fact that men and women risking their lives for our freedom were subjected to sexual violence, this bipartisan legislation will ensure they are treated fairly by the VA and get the benefits they deserve,” Dold added.