Reports of US military sexual assault rise by 8 pc over past year, finds Pentagon study

A pentagon study has revealed that the number of American troops who filed reports of sexual assault rose by 8 percent over the past year.

According to the Washington Post, while most sexual-assault victims still are apparently unwilling to come forward, a Pentagon study that will be released Thursday found gradual progress in that area.

The study said that 24 percent of all victims of sexual assault filed their complaints during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, which is 11 percent more than the reports filed during the last two years.

The Pentagon has been facing pressure to come out with a report showing its progress in

preventing and prosecuting sex offenses after lawmakers warned of stern action against the military justice system for failing to deliver justice.

Advocates on both sides of the debate have been awaiting the results of the Pentagon's annual report on sexual assault, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is scheduled to unveil Thursday, the report said.