[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 84 (Thursday, June 13, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H3370-H3371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY

  (Ms. TITUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give voice to the thousands 
of men and women who have been sexually assaulted while serving their 
country in our Armed Forces. The Pentagon estimates that as many as 
26,000 servicemembers were sexually assaulted last year. That's 70 
assaults a day. But only 13 percent of the victims have reported the 
crime because of fear of retaliation.
  We must establish a culture in our military that has zero tolerance 
for sexual assault; a culture that protects, not intimidates, victims; 
that prosecutes, not excuses, perpetrators; and that denounces, not 
ignores, sexual violence. We must make it a priority to end this 
unfathomable crime within our military and provide victims with the 
care that they need and deserve.
  Next week, I will introduce the National Guard Military Sexual Trauma 
Parity Act to ensure that victims of sexual trauma in the National 
Guard also have access to the resources and services they need.

[[Page H3371]]



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