A female U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sergeant killed herself 4 months after being gang-raped by fellow U.S. soldiers while she was serving on a base in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant, Morgan Robinson, killed herself in 2018 aged just 29. Despite the incident being reported, her superiors are believed to have ignored the complaint. She also reported that she was sexually assaulted while in Kuwait 2 years before the rape, again her superiors dismissed the complaint.
Part three of our investigation into sexual assault in the military airs tonight on the @CBSEveningNews
— Norah O'Donnell 🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) November 18, 2020
We spoke to survivors who explained why they think the military’s program to combat sexual assault is broken and why the Pentagon shouldn’t be allowed to police itself. pic.twitter.com/bN8YCDzPJ5
The news of the assaults and the suicide have only become public knowledge after a report was carried out into the incidents by the Army. The Army report states that they acted in the correct manner but said that mistakes had been made, in the heavily redacted public report it said:
"Sergeant Robinson suffered sexual, physical, and psychological trauma while deployed. The sequel of this trauma was a factor in her death."
U.S. Army principal policy adviser Elizabeth Van Winkle said in an official statement:
"The department remains committed to our goals of ending sexual assault in the military, providing the highest quality response to service members and holding offenders appropriately accountable."
While Sec. Ryan D. McCarthy stated to CBS news:
"This topic has captivated the attention of America and our Army leaders and it is abundantly clear — we must do better."
The Staff Sergeant's mother, Debbie, has been outraged by the response of the Army to the incidents and to her daughter's suicide. She says that the report has done nothing to solve the problem. She said:
"[It was] a job that she loved. It was for her country. Everything just plays over and over and over in [my] head, thinking, 'Did I miss something? Could I have done something?'"
She also strongly criticised the report and the investigation into the behaviour of her fellow soldiers and their superiors, saying:
"They can't police their self. How can you investigate yourself? You can't."
Part two of our investigation into sexual assault in the military.
— Norah O'Donnell 🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) November 18, 2020
Debbie Robinson tells us that the military's handling of her daughter Morgan's assault ultimately led to her death. "They wanted her body," Robinson said. "And they took her soul."pic.twitter.com/vYaHKKoaWu
The Staff Sergeant leaves behind a child and a husband and further highlights the barbaric actions carried out by some in the military not only against civilians in other countries but against their fellow soldiers. In 2019 alone, almost 500 former U.S. soldiers killed themselves. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the inability to reconnect to civilian life are often blamed for the prevalence of suicide amongst those who have been in the military.
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