Pentagon review panel recommends taking sexual assault investigations out of commanders' hands
CNN
A Pentagon commission on sexual assault in the military is recommending that independent authorities decide whether to prosecute service members in sexual assault cases instead of commanders, a senior defense official told CNN. If adopted, the change would mark a significant departure from how the military handles sexual assault, which the Pentagon has argued for years should be treated within the chain of command.
The proposal is one of an initial set of recommendations submitted to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday, the official said, as part of the independent commission's broader 90-day review of sexual assault in the military. These initial recommendations focus on accountability, one of the specific targets put forward when Austin created the commission in late February, where he called for "outside views and ideas." The commission is also recommending investigating sexual harassment claims outside the chain of command and immediately beginning the process of discharging a service member from the military if a charge is deemed credible.
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