New numbers from the Pentagon show a noticeable spike in the number of sexual assault reports in the military over the last fiscal year.
According to the New York Times, there were 3,553 sexual violence-related complaints filed with the Defense Department between October 2012 and June of this year - a 50 percent rise from the same period of time last year. Officials from the Defense Department also stated that those numbers have only continued rising.
The figures include instances of sexual assault by civilians on service members and vice versa. Sexual assault has been defined in the report as rape, sodomy and various forms of unwanted sexual advances, including touching of body parts, the Times reported. Cases of sexual harassment were not included in the record - they're managed by another group in the military.
Military officials looked at the increased number of reported cases as a positive thing, saying that it demonstrated a widened acceptance and space for people to come forward with their cases.
"More reports mean more victims are getting the necessary health care," Maj. Gen. Gary S. Patton, director of the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office told the Times. "More reports means a bridge to more cases being investigated by law enforcement and more offenders being held accountable."
But according to the report, the numbers also underline a host of events that highlight the issue of sexual assault in the military. On Thursday and Friday, a panel of congress members will weigh in on the military's moves to scale back on sexual violence. The Pentagon has offered to start a program in the Air Force that offers legal counsel to victims directly, along with a demand to hold higher-ups accountable.
"Folks have heard about the services and programs that we have for victims, and they are walking in the door to get those services," General Patton told the Times. "This is a strong indicator that people have heard our message and believe we are going to take care of them."
In the report, the Pentagon also discovered about 10 percent of the cases of sexual assault happened prior to the victim joining the army.
