On the recordJuly 24, 2013
My amendment addresses a current issue that is undermining an already weakened system of justice in our military. Any JAG will tell you that it is impossible to effectively prosecute a case if the investigation was improperly handled. That is why the DOD Inspector General report released last week was so troubling. It uncovered that of the 501 investigations of sexual assault offenses they audited, all but 83 had some sort of deficiency. That means that less than 20 percent were completed without error. Fifty-six cases, 11 percent of the cases, had serious deficiencies. And 399 of these cases had interview and post-interview deficiencies. They also found weaknesses in collecting evidence, not developing leads, and photographing the scene. This in large part is a result of inadequate training in how to properly investigate these complex cases. A February IG report found that criminal investigators want and need more training on conducting sexual assault investigations. For example, criminal investigators for the Air Force told the IG they wanted more training on the psychology of interviewing victims and evidence collection. One investigator said he would be ``in trouble'' if he only relied on the training he received. That is why I'm offering this amendment that will provide an additional $10 million in funds to train investigators on how to properly investigate sexual assault-related offenses.…
