Military’s sex-assault reports increase

WASHINGTON — Reports of sexual assaults across the U.S. military jumped by nearly 10 percent in 2017, a year that saw an online nude-photo sharing scandal rock the services, triggering greater awareness of sexual harassment and other similar complaints.

The overall increase was fueled by a nearly 15 percent surge in sexual assault reports in the Marine Corps, according to officials familiar with the data. The Marines, at the center of last year’s online investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, began a campaign to raise awareness of inappropriate behavior and beef up enforcement of social media rules and conduct.

The Navy and the Air Force saw increases of more than 9 percent in reported sexual assaults, while the Army went up 8 percent. Several U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details ahead of the public release of the Pentagon’s annual report. Overall, there were 6,769 reports of sexual assaults in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, compared with 6,172 in 2016. The roughly 10 percent increase is the largest the Pentagon has seen since 2015.

Defense officials have argued that an increase in reported assaults is a positive trend because it’s an under-reported crime, both in the military and across society as a whole. Greater reporting, they argue, shows more confidence in the reporting system and support for victims.