Sexual violence in the US military

Recent statistics and stories from soldiers in the US military reveal sexual assault is much more common in the defence forces that in the wider civilian population.

And, as documented in a special Al Jazeera web report detailing a culture of cover-up fear and shame, assault is a crime perpetrated against both men and women.

However, Susan Avila-Smith, the founder of the veteran’s advocacy group VET-WOW in Seattle, Washington, told Al Jazeera that not enough is being done to hold the military accountable for assault.