Black victim of sexual assault in the military speaks out

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The military: On the defensive

Still, Pentagon officials say they are aware of the problem of sexual violence within military ranks and are working to correct it.

“The leadership of this department has no higher priority than the safety and welfare of our men and women in uniform, and that includes ensuring they are free from the threat of sexual harassment and sexual assault,” said Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson, a Defense Department spokesperson, in a statement to theGrio. “Leaders at every level in this institution will be held accountable for preventing and responding to sexual assault in their ranks and under their commands.  The department is putting in place important new programs to achieve this level of accountability.”

When asked to respond to Marcel Edwards’ claims, Wilkinson said that privacy laws prohibit her from commenting on any specific case, but she did state the importance of respecting victims’ rights and providing responsive and timely support. In her statement, Wilkinson also outlined a series of military initiatives aimed at combating sexual assault that are either in progress or completed. The complete list can be viewed here.

“We need cultural change where every service member is treated with dignity and respect, where all allegations of inappropriate behavior are treated with seriousness, where victims’ privacy is protected, where bystanders are motivated to intervene, and where offenders know that they will be held accountable by strong and effective systems of justice,” Wilkinson said.

Movements to end sexual abuse march on

Experts say that organizations such as the military — along with churches and colleges — are especially prone to sexual assault because of their inherent hierarchy.

“Institutions as a whole are kind of structurally set up to both perpetrate and perpetuate sexual violence,” Monika Johnson-Hostler, president of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, told theGrio. “There’s so many other structural pieces that prevent the victims from coming forward and prohibit the hierarchy from dealing with it openly. I don’t think they’ve done the best job,” she added specifically of the military.

But Johnson-Hostler holds out hope that any advances made in fighting sexual assault in the military will help combat the problem outside the armed forces.

“Seeing this play out for the military could be beneficial for the civilian world, because the civilian world doesn’t have those structural challenges,” she said. “The more institutions that have this pervasiveness come to the light, the more likely it’s pushing future generations to change how we treat our women and children.”

Edwards: Using her voice to empower others

For Edwards, bringing her story to light has not been easy.

It’s taken her decades to talk openly about being raped, and the discussion still triggers a flood of emotion. But she is no longer ashamed of what happened to her, and she hopes that by breaking her silence and putting a face to sexual assault in the military, she will prevent other young women from suffering the abuse she endured.

“I just don’t have any shame about it,” Edwards said. “I used to live in so much shame and guilt. My therapy helped me, though. I realized I had nothing to be ashamed of — I had nothing to hide about it. I have documentation to prove everything that I’m saying, you know? So I just refuse to be quiet about it.”

Lauren Carter is a writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter @ByLaurenCarter.