EXECUTIVE ORDER MAKES MILITARY SEXUAL HARASSMENT A CRIME

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  teal ribbon is a national symbol of support for victims of sexual assault; staff Sgt. Don Hudson, U.S. Air Force

January 28, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden on Wednesday signing an executive order making sexual harassment a criminal offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 

The action stems from the  2020 murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén by a fellow soldier in Fort Hood, Texas. Her family says she was sexually assaulted before she was killed, but was afraid to report the assault due to fear of retaliation. A New York Times report in August 2021 found that nearly one in four U.S. servicewomen report being sexually assaulted in the military, but too often assailants are not held accountable.

"My little sister shed light on the epidemic of sexual misconduct in the military" Mayra Guillén, Vanessa’s sister, said in a tweet. "You'll never be forgotten. I miss you so much. Hope you're proud!" The Guillen family had lobbied for actions to protect military women victimized by sexual harassment.

The President’s executive order implements key recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military launched by the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last March and is key to advancing the bipartisan military justice reform bill passed by Congress and signed into law last month.  It also includes key elements of the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act.

Biden stated, “As this Executive Order goes into effect today, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing the military justice reform that the President signed into law as part of the NDAA, which includes the historic shift of legal decisions from commanders to independent, specialized prosecutors in cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other serious crimes.  And we honor the courage and leadership of the many survivors and advocates who long fought for these critical changes.” 

According to White House officials, the executive order will also strengthen the military’s response to domestic violence incidents and increase penalties for service members who share “intimate visual images” without permission.