More than 20,000 sexual assault claims lodged against US military in four years

The Pentagon's report into sexual assault claims in the military comes amid a sexual harassment scandal that has shaken the US.

(File Image) A US soldier saluting in front of American flag.

(File Image) A US soldier saluting in front of American flag. Source: AAP

US troops have reported more than 20,000 allegations of sexual assault at military installations over the past four years, the Pentagon said.

The report, by the Defense Department's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, details allegations by service branch for the fiscal years 2013-2016, with the Army - the largest branch of the military - reporting 8,294 cases in all.

The Navy meanwhile reported 4,788 cases, the Marine Corps 3,400 and the Air Force 8,876.

The military has about 1.3 million active-duty troops.

The publication of the report comes amid a sexual harassment scandal that has shaken America, with each new day bringing fresh allegations against powerful men from across the political, cultural and business landscape. 

While the Pentagon routinely tracks and releases data about assault within the ranks, Friday's study also specifies the bases on which the allegations were reported.

Since 2012, the Pentagon's annual reports have reported drops in the numbers of sexual assault among the force, officials said.

In 2016, data showed a decrease from 6.1 per cent of active duty women in 2012 to 4.3 per cent in 2016, and from 1.2 per cent of active duty men in 2012 to 0.6 per cent in 2016.

Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AFP, SBS


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world