Sex assault reports up 11 percent last yearBy William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 16, 2010 17:19:15 EDT
Total incidents of reported sexual assaults involving service members — both as victims and perpetrators — rose 11 percent in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the Pentagon said Tuesday.The Pentagon recorded a total of 3,230 incidents of sexual assault in fiscal 2009. The precise number of victims versus perpetrators is difficult to determine because of limitations in the reporting format; a single incident could involve multiple victims or multiple attackers, said Kaye Whitley, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
The numbers include all incidents involving service members; in some cases, a civilian may have been the victim or the perpetrator.
According to the report, 279 of the incidents were reported in the Middle East and South Asia — a 16 percent increase from fiscal 2008. Of these, 215 were recorded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pentagon said the overall rate for all the services was two reports of sexual assault per 1,000 service members. The rates by service: the Army, 2.6 per 1,000; the Navy, 1.6 per 1,000; the Air Force, 1.4 per 1,000; the Marine Corps, 1.3 per 1,000.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/military_sexassaults_report_031610w/