[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 142 (Thursday, September 22, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6353-H6354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN MILITARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today, as I come each week, to 
share yet another horrific story about rape in the military.
  It is a black eye on this country that must be erased. Nineteen 
thousand rapes a year occur in the military. Those are figures 
determined by the Department of Defense itself. I encourage those who 
want to tell their story to email me at stopmilitaryrape
@mail.house.gov.
  Today I am going to talk about Seaman Kori Cioca, who served in the 
Coast Guard from August 2005 to June 2007. Her allegations are as 
follows:
  Seaman Cioca was consistently threatened and harassed by her 
superior. On one occasion, when she made a mistake during a knot-tying 
quiz, he called her a ``stupid bleeping female who didn't belong in the 
military.'' Then he spit in her face.
  She complained about her superior's abusive behavior and expressed 
fear of him to other military personnel in the chain of command. As is 
too often the case, this reporting led to her being punished and not 
the perpetrator.
  Her superior began to drive past Cioca's home many times during the 
day and called her repeatedly, leaving her voice mails threatening her 
life. He then began to break into her room at night and stand over her 
bed. Seaman Cioca began sleeping with a knife under her pillow to 
defend herself.
  During work one day, her superior thrust his groin into her buttocks 
as she bent over to pick up some trash. He then called her a ``bleeping 
whore'' and laughed. Seaman Cioca and another shipmate who witnessed 
the incident reported it to the command. Seaman Cioca requested a 
transfer, but it was denied.
  At the end of November 2005, the superior broke into Seaman Cioca's 
room. He directed her to touch his genitals. When she refused loudly, 
he grabbed her hand and pushed it into his groin. When she yelled again 
and pushed her superior away, he struck her so hard in the face that 
she was thrown across the room and against a wall.
  Seaman Cioca and two other shipmates, who witnessed the harassment, 
went to command and reported the assault. Command did nothing in 
response.
  In December 2005, Seaman Cioca was ordered to go to retrieve some 
keys from her superior, who was in his stateroom. When he realized she 
was alone, he pulled her into the room, grabbed her by the hair and 
raped her.
  Command obtained an admission of sex from the superior, but told 
Seaman Cioca that if she pressed forward with reporting the rape, she 
would be court-martialed for lying. They refused her pleas to take a 
lie detector test so she could prove her case.
  The superior only pled guilty to hitting her. He got a slap on the 
wrist.
  She, on the other hand, was forced to sign a paper saying she had an 
inappropriate relationship with her superior and was discharged.
  As part of the discharge process, command made her stay in an all-
male barracks for 60 days. She now suffers from PTSD and an abnormal 
EEG due to nerve damage in her face.
  Cioca later told the press, ``It's like they didn't care. It wasn't 
important. I wasn't important.''
  Well, Seaman Cioca, you are important, and it is important. And it's 
high time that the Congress of the United States take action to rid the 
military of rape.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind the Members that 
remarks in debate must be addressed to the Chair and not to others in 
the second person.

[[Page H6354]]



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