The United Nations has launched a probe into claims of sexual assault in the US military as well as mistreatment of women kept in detention. UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Rashida Manjoo, arrived in Washington Sunday on an official fact-finding mission. She met with officials from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“The visit of the Special Rapporteur is a critical opportunity to shed light on violence against women in the United States,” staff attorney with the ACLU Women's Rights Project, Sandra Park, said on Monday.
“We have made progress, but victims of domestic violence and sexual assault continue to encounter discrimination in employment, housing, education and the military. We hope that the Special Rapporteur's visit provokes much-needed dialogue about protecting victims, including the steps that the government should take to stop the cycle of violence.”
The UN rapporteur will meet and hold talks with government officials and American lawmakers during her two-week visit. She is going to release a report on her findings later this year.
In December, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon for refusing to release records of sex crimes within the US military. According to the lawsuit, tens of thousands of US service members have reported some form of sexual assault during the past decade
