JULY 16, 2013
The National Law Journal, on July 15, 2013, published an opinion piece by Lauren Mendonsa and Lynne Bernabei. They explained why Congress needs to respond in a more aggressive manner to the problem of sexual assaults in the military, given the significant under-reporting of these crimes, and the frequency in which commanding officers can unilaterally dismiss the charges. Legislative remedies should include requiring that a prosecutor, not the commanding officer, determine whether to go forward with a prosecution, and to grant whistleblower protections to those who report sexual assaults.
