With 87 percent of the estimated incidents of unwanted sexual contact going unreported by those serving in our military because service men and women fear retaliation, it is time to change the system. Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, is demanding stronger reforms to stop the spreading epidemic of sexual assault in the ranks of military personnel.

By cosponsoring the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 (H.R. 2016/S. 967), Upton wants to end the statistic that 62 percent of the women who reported assaults to the Defense Department indicated they suffered some sort of social, administrative or professional retaliation.

Under this legislation – introduced by Congressman Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) – the decision of whether a sexual assault case goes to trial moves outside the victim’s chain of command to an experienced military prosecutor.

“Our military’s current system is broken and failing to protect those who have sacrificed so much to keep their nation safe and secure.  This bipartisan legislation will help fix that problem and create a safer environment for all who answer our nation’s call,” said Upton.  “The brave men and women of our Armed Forces have our full support on the field of battle – they deserve no less behind the frontlines and here at home.” 

“The last thing a sexual assault victim should have to worry about is whether they will receive justice or retaliation.”

The Military Justice Improvement Act also requires a commanding officer who receives a report of sexual assault in his chain of command to immediately refer the report to the appropriate investigative officer.  Further, the legislation would prohibit a commanding officer from overturning a conviction or changing a guilty finding to a lesser included offense.

Upton also supported today’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (H.R. 1960), which included a number of provisions to address the sexual assault crisis, including mandatory minimum sentencing for sexual assault offenders and expanded services for victims of abuse.  H.R. 1960 passed by a bipartisan vote of 315 to 108.