Confidentiality Rule Boosts Sexual Assault Reporting

More service members who believe they are victims of sexual assault are coming forward, thanks to a three-year-old option that allows them to tell their stories to authorities and receive medical treatment and counseling without triggering a criminal investigation, the Defense Department says. Since the option to limit who hears their information became available, more than 1,800 service members have used it, says Dr. Kaye Whitley, director of DoD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. “That is probably 1,800 people [who] wouldn’t have reported that sexual assault,” Whitley says.