by: Kelly Davis
Posted: Updated:
After the death of Vanessa Guillen, a veterans’ group is sounding the alarm about abuse of women in the military.
Saturday, a local veterans’ group came together to demand that more needs to be about sexual abuse and harassment of women serving our country.
Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen may have been harassed before her murder, army officials uncovered in their investigation.
“We will not become silent in the death and murder of Vanessa Guillen,” founder of National Women Veterans United Rochelle Crump said.
Investigators said the 20-year-old woman was killed at Fort Hood by a fellow soldier from Calumet City.
Aaron David Robinson killed himself when police tried to arrest him. Guillen’s family said she was sexually harassed on base, which may have led to her murder.
Investigators believe she was harassed, but said it wasn’t sexual.
It makes it fearful for those who come into the military,” said Crump. “Who are told and taught that you most listen and obey your commanding officers, that you have no other choice than to follow your platoon leader.”
Guillen’s death has sparked a nationwide conversation about abuse in the armed forces.
National Women Veterans United said the vast majority of victims are assaulted by someone within their chain of command, so a lot go unreported.
“That means that these women and men are still living in a situation that they are uncomfortable with,” Crump said. “That they are still fearful of and that they have no hope that anyone is either going to hear them, help them or pull them out of that feeling that they have of being uncomfortable and unsafe,” Crump said.
The group is calling on the military to do more. They want them to set up security cameras and require polygraph tests of accused abusers.
Army investigators are still looking into Guillen’s case.
original source found at: https://wgntv.com/news/local-veterans-group-rallies-to-cut-down-abuse-of-women-in-military/