Biden Orders Changes to the Military Code of Justice for Sexual Assault Victims
.By Tara Copp
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order giving decisions on the prosecution of serious military crimes, including sexual assault, to independent military attorneys, taking that power away from victims’ commanders.
The order formally implements legislation passed by Congress in 2022 aimed at strengthening protections for service members, who were often at the mercy of their commanders to decide whether to take their assault claims seriously.
Members of Congress, frustrated with the growing number of sexual assaults in the military, fought with defense leaders for several years over the issue. They argued that commanders at times were willing to ignore charges or incidents in their units to protect those accused of offenses and that using independent lawyers would beef up prosecutions. Military leaders balked, saying it could erode commanders’ authority.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2023/07/28/biden_orders_changes_to_the_military_code_of_justice_for_sexual_assault_victims_969237.html
