United States Army officials announced on Wednesday the discharge of 588 soldiers that occupied "positions of trust", as recruiters and counselors for matters related to sexual abuses, after it was revealed that they were involved in sexual assaults, sexual abuse of minors and drunk driving.
The measure is a response to the growing number of sexual assaults that have been reported in the armed forces of the United States in recent years.
According to a report released by the AFP, during 2013, the reports of sexual aggressions in the United States Army rose by 60 percent above the number of reports during 2012.
On Wednesday, Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Colonel Cathy Wilkinson told the media that there were 5,400 reported cases of sexual assault during the 2013 fiscal year alone, around 15 cases per day, according to the quoted source.
Despite everything, Lt. Colonel Wilkinson considered that the rise in the number of reports in comparison with those received in 2012, when there were 3,374 reports, shows that the victims have more confidence that their cases will be taken seriously.
Last year, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel emitted an order for all armed forces branches to revise the qualifications of personnel assigned to positions of trust, after the scandals of sexual abuses in the Navy were widely debated by the media, reported Fox News.
A history and qualifications revision among 20,000 soldiers revealed that 588 of them were unfit to carry out their duty as recruiters, drill sergeants, training school instructors and personnel for prevention and response programs in cases of sexual assault.
For the moment, Army spokesmen have not revealed if the discharged soldiers will be reassigned or completely expelled from the armed forces. Last May, Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered that 25,000 people involved in programs to prevent and respond to cases of sexual abuses in the Army be re-certified.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
