‘Excuses are over’: Gaps in domestic violence reporting threaten troops’ safety, lawmakers say
Leo Shane III
Lawmakers and victims’ advocates blasted defense officials on Tuesday for an incomplete and inadequate response to domestic violence incidents in the ranks, saying they may be undermining faith in military leadership by overlooking large numbers of cases annually.
“Excuses are over, the safety and wellbeing of our service members is at risk,” said Rep. Jackie Speier, chairwoman of the House Armed Services Committee’s personnel panel.
“We know that over 40,000 incidents met DoD criteria for domestic abuse between 2015 and 2019 and that 74 percent of those incidents were physical abuse. But how many were never counted by the Department? How many were never reported? For more than 20 years, no one can say.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2021/05/25/excuses-are-over-gaps-in-domestic-violence-reporting-threaten-troops-safety-lawmakers-say/
