Report: Sexual assaults in military up 3% in 2019

There was a 3% increase in reports of sexual assaults in the U.S. military in 2019, according to statistics released by the Department of Defense.

The 2019 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military found that in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 there were a total of 7,825 reports of sexual assault involving service members (as either victims or subjects), compared with 7,623 in 2018.

They include 6,236 service members who reported an incident of sexual assault; 652 reports from members for incidents that occurred before military service; as well as 937 reports from U.S. civilians and foreign nationals who alleged they were assaulted by a service member.

The overall uptick of 3% shouldn’t be interpreted as an increase in sexual assault prevalence among the active-duty force, because a prevalence survey was not conducted this year. “Our work to eliminate sexual assault reflects our ongoing commitment to advance a culture of trust, respect and inclusion within the force,” Dr. Elizabeth Van Winkle, the executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency, said in a statement.

Pentagon officials will have to wait until next year to verify whether the uptick represents an increase in crimes, or just a higher number of people reporting on sexual assaults. The highest percentage change was reported in the Air Force, with a 9% rise over the previous year. The Marine Corps had a decrease at 6% over 2018 reporting.