WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- The number of U.S. military servicemen and women who claimed to be a victim of a sexual assault dropped substantially over the last two years, a Pentagon study has shown.
The Pentagon estimates about 19,000 military personnel were on the receiving end of "unwanted sexual contact" in 2014 -- a 27 percent decline from the 26,000 estimate in 2012, the report said.
However, the Pentagon said, the number of military personnel who reported retaliation as a consequence of reporting a sex crime remained unchanged -- possibly indicating fear and other intimidation factors deterring some victims from reporting sex crimes still exist.
Of those who reported sexual assaults in 2014, about 78 percent said the incident occurred during military service -- a 16 percent increase over the same period in 2013.
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The report also said about one in four victims made some sort of report to military authorities, a record number.
"The estimated 25 percent reporting rate in fiscal year 2014 is the highest ever recorded for the military services," the report said. "When service members who experienced sexual assault come forward to make a report, the department can provide victims with support and hold offenders appropriately accountable."
The report was sponsored by the Department of Defense and conducted by the RAND Corporation.
"This report shows that, in fiscal year 2014, the estimated prevalence of sexual assault decreased across the department and that the estimated proportion of victims choosing to report the crime has increased to an unprecedented level," the report concluded.
"Every service member must participate in creating a culture where sexist behaviors, sexual harassment and sexual assault are not tolerated, condoned or ignored. Leaders will be held accountable for establishing the appropriate command climate. The department's success relies on the full participation of every service member and leader in implementing this culture change."
Despite some positive indicators in the report, defense officials acknowledged that more needs to be done to combat sexual assault in the U.S. military.
"More must be done to eliminate the crimes that constitute sexual assault and implement enduring culture change," Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson said.
