Guillén family vows to keep on battling
Following the Tuesday release of a scathing independent report on Fort Hood's command culture, the family members of slain Houston soldier Vanessa Guillén said they will continue fighting for justice and pushing for a legislative bill that would reform military sexual harassment procedures.
“We won't be satisfied until the act passes, until the legislation passes and until we get actual accountability, answers and justice for Vanessa Guillén,” said Lupe Guillén, Vanessa's youngest sister.
The family members stood alongside their attor
ney, Natalie Khawam, and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo during an emotional news briefing.
Her sisters said they were thankful that issues of sexual harassment were brought to light with the release of the committee's report.
The family members spoke via Zoom for the first time Tuesday with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, Khawam said.
Lupe said they were disappointed the meeting came more than seven months after Guillén's death, and expressed a desire to meet with him in person.
Still, their lawyer said they were grateful to have “an open line of communication” with top brass and she feels certain “they will not let this family be in the dark anymore.”
Another report on the Army's handling of Guillén's disappearance and death is expected in the coming weeks, Khawam said.
The late soldier's mother, Gloria Guillén, wept as she explained in Spanish that the report was one step but more steps were needed to alleviate the harm to young women who join the service.
She said she believes Spc. Aaron Robinson was killed because he was going to divulge something about what was going on at Fort Hood.
Her daughter Lupe said they believe three different Army people at Fort Hood harassed Vanessa, and Robinson had walked in and watched her while she was bathing.
Acevedo said he's standing in support of the family. He encouraged crime victims to come forward to create change — like the “unimaginable” change created by the Guillén family's courage in the face of tragedy.
“They've moved the United States Army, and that is a pretty hard force to move,” Acevedo said.
Vanessa's sisters said they believe she is proud of them, their advocacy work and the community that has backed them.
“Wherever you are Vanessa, you are alive, you are here today,” Lupe Guillén said. “Your legacy is going to keep going, hopefully with the act that we're trying to pass. You know that as sisters we're going to fight for you because that's family for us.”