GOAL: Create national/uniform reporting standards that are supportive of military members who are victims of crime. Their safety, health, rights, and career are equally as important as the rights of the accused.
Military Culture (closed institution)
1. Empower all servicemembers to report violent crimes to civilian authorities (they actually have criminal databases, procedures for preserving evidence, and trained police officers & detectives)
2. Support and encourage the troops to seek help (prevent compounded PTSD, treat early)
3. Protect their confidentiality (victim is ashamed, personal crime, it’s no one’s business)
4. Provide them with safety (provide them with options to include restraining orders, protection from harassment & expedited transfers)
6. Deal with status of the accused while awaiting trial (You have a troop accused of rape, what do you do?)
7. Support the victim’s choice to prosecute. Give them the time they need to get justice & begin the healing process (We can’t stop predators unless we convict them)
8. Give victims the choice to take some time off after the assault/court (time out)
9. Ensure that they are offered proper supports, utilize civilian resources when none available via military (set up contracts for service for counseling, psychiatry, yoga, gynecology, DNA testing, self-defense, etc.)
10. Teach how important it is to help preserve evidence for the prosecution (We are fighting an enemy within the ranks, we must work together for justice)
11. Encourage all members to prosecute, maybe others will come forward too (the more people that come forward, the better they feel & better for prosecution)
12. Hold anyone that retaliates against victim accountable (punishment for saying or doing anything inappropriate to a victim of crime at the workplace)
13. After prosecution give the victim the choice to stay in or get out. If they have proven that they have been raped/assaulted/attacked, give them the benefits they deserve.
14. Need person to coordinate transition whether staying in or getting out
15. Most important, give the power back to the victim of the crime because they just experienced a crime where all their power has been taken from them. Provide them with solid support, choices, and options and they will in fact be empowered by taking care of themselves and doing the right thing. If we punish them in any way for doing the right thing, it compounds the PTSD and can lead to suicide.
16. We need to prevent the more violent crimes and take sexual harassment, domestic violence, child abuse, stalking, bullying, hazing, abuse, and retaliation seriously to prevent further injury to the victim of the crime and prevent a sexual assault, rape, or murder.
Outcome: Healthy troops versus disabled veterans.
Jennifer S. Norris 