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At Hampton VA, caring for sexual assault victims is ongoing battle
http://www.dailypress.com/news/military/dp-nws-sex-assault-military-20130519,0,5222354.storyAt Hampton VA, caring for sexual assault victims is ongoing battle
By Hugh Lessig
May 19, 2013
HAMPTON — Over two weeks, the Pentagon has suffered a string of embarrassments in its effort to show progress in curbing sexual assault within the ranks.
A Defense Department anonymous survey estimated a 35 percent increase in sexual assault and related offenses in the military over two years. Meanwhile, three officers who directed or managed sexual assault prevention programs have been caught up in investigations that range from groping a woman in a parking lot, to pimping, to violating a protection from abuse order.
~snip~
But in Hampton Roads, where thousands of active-duty troops and veterans live, the problem is nothing new.
Since October, the Hampton VA Medical Center has seen 400 people who say they suffer from military sexual trauma, or MST, a catch-all term that includes sexual assault, unwanted touching, sexual coercion or harassment.