Marines Release New Plan to Combat Sexual Harassment

June 25th, 2012    Posted in Sexual Harassment News

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps have released a new plan aimed at preventing sexual assault among members as well as to ensure offenders are held accountable for their actions.

The Marine Corps noted that “despite our efforts, we have been ineffective at addressing and eliminating sexual assault.” The new plan, signed by Commandant Gen. James Amos, ensures plights of sexual harassment victims will now be fully addressed.

The three-part plan ensures “true zero tolerance, effective sustainment, empowered reporting, effective deterrence, engaged leadership and evolved culture.”

According to Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine officer and current executive director of Service Women’s Action Network, the long-overdue plan demonstrates that the Marine Corps “has finally caught up to where the rest of the DOD leadership is, which isn’t saying that much.”

Bhagwati says the plan appears to focus mostly on alcohol and “high-risk situation,” but to truly put an end to the workplace abuse, she believes commanders should take a stronger approach and “crush” offenders , instead of ignoring reports.

“There’s just no accountability,” said Bhagwati.

Last year, there were 333 reports of sexual assault in the Marine Corps and 346 victims. While there are false harassment reports, many real sexual assault accounts in the Marine Corps “are often immediately dismissed as false and focus on the victim’s behavior and reputation rather than the conduct of the offender,” states the plan, which will focus on ensuring offenders do not get away with their actions.

The plan will ensure all Marines are trained on sexual harassment incidents and how to properly report cases as well as will make a pre-enlistment waiver history accessible to a Marine’s commander.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of sexual assault, contact a sexual harassment lawyer immediately for assistance to fight for your rights.