The number of sexual assaults reported in the US military rose 50 percent from 2012 to 2013, a new report has revealed.
The rise in number signals more people now feel comfortable about reporting attacks.
According to the Washington Times, the Pentagon's annual report on sexual assault found 5,061 reports of sexual assault in fiscal 2013, a 50 percent increase from the 3,374 reports in fiscal 2012.
The numbers are a huge jump from previous years, when reporting of sexual abuse cases only increased by about 5 percent each year since 2006, the report found.
Senator Claire McCaskill said the numbers show the system is improving as more service members are willing to report purported crimes.
The report said it's unlikely the large increase represents an increase in crime rates, but there's no data to back that up, the report added.
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