Ayotte: We Must Do More to Stop Sexual Assault in the Military

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) praised the courage of victims who appeared today before the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee for a hearing on sexual assault in the military. She thanked them for their service and said their testimony will be invaluable as the panel and the Department of Defense work to prevent such crimes.

"Sexual assault and rape are not about the weakness of the victim, they're about power and control. In a military context that becomes an even greater problem," said Senator Ayotte. "We've got to address this. It's undermining our readiness, our military, and it's totally unacceptable and it's not consistent with the greatest military on Earth."

During the hearing, Senator Ayotte followed up on a January report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that identified problems in ensuring proper care for servicewomen who are victims of sexual assault. The report found that military health care providers did not have a consistent understanding of their responsibilities in caring for sexual assault victims because the Defense Department has not established guidance for the treatment of sexual assault injuries.

In response to questioning by Ayotte, Major General Gary Patton, Director of the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, indicated the Department has worked with stakeholders to revise its guidance for military health care providers and will soon issue the revised policy to the service branches.

Last month, during debate on the landmark Violence Against Women Act, Ayotte and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) filed an amendment that would have addressed the deficiencies outlined in the GAO report by requiring the Defense Department to provide department-level guidance and improve training compliance.

Ayotte is a former prosecutor who has worked extensively with victims. During her time as New Hampshire's Attorney General, Ayotte chaired the Governor's Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

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