Pentagon: Claims of retaliation for complaints on rise

By LOLITA C. BALDOR

Published May 01, 2018

Retribution for filing sexual assault or sexual harassment complaints has risen among U.S. service members.

An annual Pentagon report also notes a growing number of sexual misconduct cases.

The report for 2017, released on Monday, finds that there were 146 reports of retaliation last year, compared to 84 in 2016. The number of sexual harassment complaints rose by 16 percent and the number of sexual misconduct cases by about 10 percent.

There were 6,769 reports of sexual assault in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

Pentagon officials say the increase in reporting reflects a broader confidence in the system and is a positive trend because sexual assault is a highly underreported crime.

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