BWJP Applauds Bipartisan Agreement addressing Military Sexual Assault in the NDAA
December 7, 2021 BWJP is proud to support the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Sexual Assault in the Military, along with the visionary leadership of President Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. These changes will ensure that any service member who experiences sexual assault, domestic violence, or related crimes, including women, men, and LGBTQ+ individuals, will be able to rely on a military justice system that is independent from command influence and control, and with specialized prosecutors who will be equipped to handle these complex cases in a trauma-informed way. The agreement ensures that military spouses and intimate partners who experience domestic violence—including IPV-related sexual abuse—will have their cases tried by independent special victims prosecutors, who will have the sole purview to make legal decisions in domestic violence cases, replacing today’s authority held by commanders. The transfer of legal oversight on domestic violence cases from untrained commanders to specialized prosecutors is monumental, and represents a turning point in how domestic violence cases are handled, which have long been minimized in military justice policy. BWJP is grateful to all National leaders for their efforts to advocate for all military survivors of violence, and stands in strong support of continued efforts towards justice for victims.
TAGS: #Military