Cadets Allege Sexual Assault, Cover-Up
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Two Senate committees are now investigating what is shaping up as the military’s biggest sex-assault scandal since Tailhook in 1991. During the past two weeks, 12 women cadets have come forward and charged that they were raped or sexually assaulted while attending the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and then reprimanded for reporting the attacks. “You feel like you’re dirty, you feel like nobody’s going to believe you,” said one victim, Liz, who didn’t want her full name revealed. She said she felt completely degraded when she was raped by an upperclassman. “You feel like you’re not worth anything.” Another cadet, Ann, who also didn’t want her last name used, said she was intimidated after she reported an assault. “The message is that rape is acceptable,” she said. “You don’t want to say anything about it.” The scandal emerged after a cadet complained to Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., last month, and Denver ABC affiliate KMGH launched a multi-part investigative report. Allard then called on the secretary of the Air Force to investigate. A team of five senior Pentagon officials arrived at the academy earlier this week to interview rape victims, other cadets and administrators. More : abcnews.go.com |