Mon, Mar 03, 2003
Query Into Rape Allegations At AFA
They spend ten days investigating allegations of
rape at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs (CO). But they
never talked with the town's leading rape and domestic abuse
clinic, where 22 of the woman who say they were brutalized sought
help.
The Trust, Educadtion, Safety, Support and Action Rape Crisis
Clinic in Colorado Springs is where dozens of cadets have gone to
complain about sexual abuse for more than 15 years. The reason:
They were afraid to report the attacks to AFA officials. They were
afraid of being threatened, punished, or expelled.
The USAF investigation comes after former cadets complained they
left the AFA because they were intimidated or disciplined for
reporting unwanted sexual advances. The investigation threatens to
become the military's biggest sexual scandal since the 1991
Tailhook incident.
Cadets Report Intimidation, Assaults Not Reported
Jennifer Bier, head of clinical services at the
crisis center, said, "Our clinical staff, and former clinical
staff, can state with reasonable certainty that they worked with 22
cadets who were assaulted." Other cadets called but did not come
into the clinic, she said.
An academy spokeswoman, Sgt. Marlise Wood, confirmed that the
investigative team left Friday. She did not rule out that they may
talk later with the clinic.
Former Air Force Captain Dorothy Mackey,who founded an advocacy
group to track sexual assaults in the military, said the fact that
investigators didn't talk with the clinic only proves the need for
an outside investigation involving civilian prosecutors.
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