Reported Sexual Assaults Across U.S. Military Increase By 13%

WASHINGTON (AP) – Reports of sexual assaults across the U.S. military jumped by 13% last year, driven by significant increases in the Army and the Navy as bases began to move out of pandemic restrictions and public venues opened back up.

U.S. defense and military officials also tell The Associated Press that close to 36,000 service members said in a confidential survey that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact.

That’s a dramatic increase over the roughly 20,000 who said that in a similar 2018 survey.

The latest figures are certain to anger lawmakers on Capitol Hill who’ve been critical of the Pentagon’s efforts to get a handle on sexual crimes and misconduct.