Last week, Senator Patty Murray (above), the former Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, now Chairs the Senate Budget Committee. Murray's office issued a joint-statement from Senator Murray and Senator Kelly Ayotte (below).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Murray Press Office
Thursday, August 15, 2013 202-224-2834
Murray, Ayotte Statement on Secretary Hagel Directive on Military Sexual Assault
Hagel
memorandum includes directive for immediate implementation of trained
military lawyers to help victims of sexual assault take action against
attackers
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
released the following statement after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel directed immediate implementation
of several measures to “gain greater consistency of effort and enhance
oversight, investigative quality, pretrial investigations and victim
support” in cases of military sexual assault. Among other measures, the
directive includes implementation of trained lawyers to provide victims
in all branches with guidance through the legal process, similar to
legislation introduced by Senators Murray and Ayotte.
“I
applaud the proactive steps Secretary Hagel is taking today to do right
by our nation’s heroes and begin the process of tackling this scourge
within the ranks,” said Senator Murray. “Our
legislation to provide victims with a dedicated legal counsel
absolutely gets to the heart of effectively addressing the tragic
epidemic of sexual assault in our military and I was pleased to see
Secretary Hagel has put priority on its implementation. Providing legal
advocates for victims is a major step forward in reversing this awful
trend and establishing the necessary means for these men and women to
take action against their attackers through what is a deeply personal
and painful process. While these measures are by no means a silver
bullet, it is inexcusable for us to wait any longer to address this
issue and I’m glad Secretary Hagel understands these actions are long
overdue.”
“It’s
encouraging that the Department of Defense is taking steps to implement
these reforms immediately, rather than waiting for them to become law,”
said Senator Ayotte.
"The actions announced today will provide greater protections to
victims, increase reporting, and result in more prosecutions – and they
represent a significant step forward as we continue efforts to stop
sexual assault in the military.”
Last
month, the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee approved $25 million
to fully fund the Murray-Ayotte Special Victims Counsels (SVCs)
program. The House of Representatives has also approved full funding for
this program in their Department of Defense spending legislation. In
May, Senators Murray and Ayotte introduced the bipartisan Combating Military Sexual Assault Act,
which has been included in the pending National Defense Authorization
Act. The SVC program is based on a successful pilot program currently
implemented in the Air Force.
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Meghan Roh
Press Secretary | New Media Director
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Mobile: (202) 365-1235
Office: (202) 224-2834