WASHINGTON — The number of reported sexual assaults across the military shot up by more than 50 percent this year, an increase that defense officials say might suggest that victims are becoming more willing to come forward after a tumultuous year of scandals that shined a spotlight on the crimes and put pressure on the military to take aggressive action.
According to early data, there were more than 5,000 reports of sexual assault filed during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, compared with the 3,374 in 2012. Of those 2013 reports, about 10 percent involved incidents that occurred before the victim got into the military, up from just 4 percent a year ago. That increase, officials said, suggests that confidence in the system is growing.
High-profile assaults and arrests triggered outrage in Congress.
Asked about the preliminary data, defense officials were cautious in their conclusions. But they said surveys, focus groups and meetings with service members throughout the year suggest that the number of actual incidents — from unwanted sexual contact and harassment to violent assaults — has remained largely steady.
