[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 21, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H1434-H1435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1050
                           STOP MILITARY RAPE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise again today to highlight the 
epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military. This is the 17th 
time that I've stood here on the House floor to tell the story of a 
brave member of our military who has been raped or sexually assaulted 
by a fellow servicemember.
  Today I will tell you the story of Elle Helmer, who served at the 
prestigious Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., at 8th and I from 2005 
to 2006. The Marines who serve here in Washington are known throughout 
the military as the tip of the sword. They perform ceremonial roles and 
participate in the silent drill platoon. They are the creme de la 
creme.
  You will notice that Elle's story follows the exact same pattern as 
the dozens of stories I've told before and probably the same pattern of 
the estimated 19,000 rapes and sexual assaults that occurred in the 
military in 2010. This is the pattern of the epidemic.
  This is Elle's story: The harassment started as soon as she arrived 
in Washington. Lieutenant Helmer was told that she was selected to be 
the public affairs officer for the barracks based on her appearance. 
She was told that Command wanted a good-looking female officer to serve 
as a ``poster child.'' In addition to her role in public affairs, 
Lieutenant Helmer was also notified by mail that she was made a sexual 
assault and response coordinator. No one told her what the role 
required, and the only thing she knew about the position was that she'd 
been appointed to do it.
  In March of 2005, a captain continually commented on her appearance 
and began to harass her. He told Lieutenant Helmer that he picked her 
to be a Public Affairs Officer because she was the ``prettiest.'' He 
made sexual advances and kept sending her social emails. She spurned 
his advances and complained to the Marine Barracks' equal opportunity 
officer, and provided

[[Page H1435]]

copies of the emails and details about the harassment. The Marine Corps 
did nothing.
  The following year, the Marine Corps named Lieutenant Helmer to serve 
as the first female ceremonial parade flanking officer. Part of her 
responsibilities was to attend a pub crawl for St. Patrick's Day that 
had been endorsed by the colonel. When she objected to going, her 
superior, a major, told her it was a mandatory work event. The pub 
crawl involved a group of Marine officers identified in T-shirts going 
from bar to bar to bar on Capitol Hill, drinking excessive amounts of 
alcohol, all paid for by the Marine Corps. Lieutenant Helmer was 
required to drink shots at the same pace as the large male officers. On 
those occasions when she drank water to try to keep herself from 
becoming intoxicated, she was required by her boss to drink an extra 
shot as punishment.
  As a result of the forced consumption of alcohol that night, 
Lieutenant Helmer became very intoxicated and left to find a cab to go 
home. Her superior, the major, followed her out and told her that she 
needed to come with him to his office to discuss a business matter.
  When they reached his office, the major tried to kiss her. Lieutenant 
Helmer resisted, and the major grabbed her, knocking her over and 
hitting her head against the wall. She lost consciousness at that 
point.
  When she awoke, she found herself lying on the floor in the major's 
office and was wearing his shorts. The major was found naked from the 
waist down, passed out on the floor nearby. After Lieutenant Helmer 
left the major's office, she reported it to her command that she had 
been raped. Her colonel discouraged her from asking for a rape kit 
examination, saying it would be ``out of his hands.'' In spite of the 
colonel's objections, Lieutenant Helmer sought and obtained a rape kit 
and medical examination.
  Despite the medical and circumstantial evidence of the rape, the Navy 
Criminal Investigative Services initially refused to investigate, 
claiming Lieutenant Helmer's inability to recall her rape precluded any 
investigation. After a delay that destroyed the crime scene, the NCIS 
eventually conducted a very brief investigation and concluded that 
nothing could be done in light of Lieutenant Helmer's lack of 
consciousness during the assault.
  In addition, the Marine Corps ``lost'' Helmer's rape kit. Lieutenant 
Helmer complained to the major's superior. Although that Marine officer 
admitted the NCIS investigation was ``woefully inadequate'' and removed 
the major from his command position, he refused to press charges or 
take any further steps to punish the rapist. Instead, he told 
Lieutenant Helmer, ``You're from Colorado. You're tough. You need to 
pick yourself up and dust yourself off.'' He then remarked, ``I can't 
babysit you all the time.''
  Instead of the perpetrator being prosecuted, Lt. Helmer became the 
subject of investigation and prosecution. She was forced to leave the 
Marine Corps while her rapist remains a Marine in good standing. Elle, 
like so many victims I've heard from, report a culture of acceptance 
and a culture that blames victims. This must stop. We must pass H.R. 
3435.

                          ____________________