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By ROBERT GEHRKE

WASHINGTON (AP) - There are at least two serial sex offenders among the U.S.
troops in the Middle East, an advocacy group has told the Pentagon.

The Miles Foundation, a support group for military sexual assault victims,
said 83 servicewomen stationed in the Middle East have reported being raped or
assaulted in the last 18 months.



In at least two cases, multiple victims reported having been attacked by the
same soldier, said Christine Hansen, executive director of the
Connecticut-based group.

The foundation said Friday it has reported the cases to commanders and formal
reports have been filed.

Pentagon spokesmen said they were unaware of the group's complaint.

There have been 15 new cases brought to the foundation since Hansen testified
before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week although most occurred
before the testimony. Hansen said the majority of the victims are officers,
leading advocates to believe that there are likely enlisted personnel who are
not reporting attacks.

There are about 60,000 women deployed in the theater.

According to Defense Department figures, there have been 112 sexual assaults
reported in the region, including 86 in the Army. Sixty of those who have
contacted the Miles Foundation have not reported their attacks through
official channels, Hansen said.

There have been an especially high number of attacks at Camp Udairi and Camp
Spearhead, both in Kuwait, she said.

``Articulating a zero-tolerance policy is inadequate,'' said Hansen. ``Leaders
from the commander-in-chief to the Secretary of Defense to unit commanders
must make clear that violence against any woman, anywhere, of any nationality,
age, race, rank or marital status will not be tolerated.''

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has asked for a department-wide review of
policies and procedures for dealing with sexual assaults in the military
setting. A report is expected by the beginning of May.

Hansen and William Schultz, executive director of Amnesty International, said
the Pentagon should spend $10 million to create a department-wide system of
victim advocates. They also said the Defense Department should enact uniform
policies for handling assaults, leaving less discretion to officers who have
allegedly swept crimes under the rug.

Last week, David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel, told senators
that the department is considering adding to its network of services for
victims. And he emphasized that the military will not tolerate sexual
mistreatment of soldiers and that it will be treated as a crime.

Rumsfeld's inquiry was prompted by stories in The Denver Post that thousands
of sex offenders in the military had escaped punishment. The reports
documented accounts of numerous women who said they had been raped or sexually
assaulted while in the military and who said military commanders were
dismissive of the claims.


03/05/04 21:02

© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information
contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise
distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.



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