Documents: Judgments random in military sex-crimes

[dipsydoodle]

TOKYO (AP) -- At U.S. military bases in Japan, most service members found culpable in sex crimes in recent years did not go to prison, according to internal Department of Defense documents. Instead, in a review of hundreds of cases filed in America's largest overseas military installation, offenders were fined, demoted, restricted to their bases or removed from the military.

In about 30 cases, a letter of reprimand was the only punishment.

More than 1,000 records, obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, describe hundreds of cases in graphic detail, painting a disturbing picture of how senior American officers prosecute and punish troops accused of sex crimes. The handling of allegations verged on the chaotic, with seemingly strong cases often reduced to lesser charges. In two rape cases, commanders overruled recommendations to court-martial and dropped the charges instead.

Even when military authorities agreed a crime had been committed, the suspect was unlikely to serve time. Of 244 service members whose punishments were detailed in the records, only a third of them were incarcerated.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_US_MILITARY_SEXUAL_ASSAULTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-10-04-33-33

[giftedgirl77]

1. As a person who worked for the prosecution for over

8 years within the military at multiple locations I will tell you firsthand that trying to get a conviction much less jail time is a bitch. Even when just dealing with an administrative process such as involuntary separation is a special victory for us.

The service members that sit on our juries & panels are always senior enlisted members and/or officers & a majority of the time all the accused has to do is parade a bunch of ppl through as character witnesses to talk about how great the soldier is at their job, etc. When it comes to sentencing they are usually more concerned with how this will effect the accused career & pension rather than the victim.

It's a disgusting mentality & destroys the victims every time & explains exactly why victims don't want to report or go through with any type of proceedings.