Article Calls for Congress to Act on Sexual Assault in the Military

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.