Tillis, Ernst hold DOD accountable for rise in sexual assaults at U.S. military academics

U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) last week made a bipartisan request that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) explain a sharp rise in sexual assaults at the nation’s military academies.

“We write today to address the disheartening report from the Pentagon, obtained by USA Today, revealing a significant increase in incidents of sexual assault at our nation’s military academies,” wrote Sen. Tillis, Sen. Ernst, and two Democratic colleagues in a Jan. 30 letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

“While it seems that the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program is empowering cadets and service members to report and seek restorative care, the continued increase in reported incidents from year to year point to a disturbing trend that now requires us to reexamine our efforts to find solutions,” the senators wrote.

According to their letter, the Pentagon’s annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies stated there were 122 sexual assault reports during the 2018-19 school year compared to 92 reports from 2017-18, a 32 percent increase.

“While this sharp increase may reflect an increased willingness to report, it also shows an alarming trend that is heading in the wrong direction,” wrote the lawmakers.

The senators requested a briefing on the report to enable them to complete their own analysis, and they asked for a meeting with the appropriate DOD personnel to discuss the overall findings in the report.

“The DOD and Congress have prioritized combating sexual assault in our military formations but we must continue to evaluate and reassess our efforts,” wrote Sen. Ernst, Sen. Tillis, and their colleagues. “It is our shared responsibility to ensure the men and women who will be the next generation of leaders in our nation’s armed forces are being instilled with the necessary values to combat the scourge of sexual assault.”