Month: November 2013

Man suspected in murder-attempted suicide was Camp Smith soldier

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Man suspected in murder-attempted suicide was Camp Smith soldier

The military today released information on the soldier suspected of killing his 33 year-old wife from Singapore before turning the gun on himself in the couple’s Waikiki apartment in an apparent murder-attempted suicide.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office officially confirmed the identity of Monday’s apparent murder victim as Tara Insin.

Police have indicated that there is only one suspect after classifying the case as a murder and attempted suicide — the husband, Leonardo Chavez, of the Dominican Republic.

Chavez is still hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his right cheek. No charges have been filed.

Read more here.

U.S. Institute of Peace: ‘Masculinity’ to Blame for Violence, Terrorism

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U.S. Institute of Peace: ‘Masculinity’ to Blame for Violence, Terrorism

Speakers at a symposium hosted by a taxpayer-funded institute this week said some aspects of masculinity contribute to mass violence and criticized the United States for spending more on counterterrorism operations than sexual assault prevention efforts.

The “Men, Peace, and Security Symposium: Agents of Change,” held at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on Monday and Tuesday, “aim[ed] to better understand how the ascribed norms of men and masculine identities contribute to, and may even help mitigate, violent conflict and post-conflict,” according to USIP’s website.

USIP was “established by Congress in 1984 as an independent, federally-funded national security institution,” according to its website.

While most of the event featured panels on the behaviors and actions of men in violence-ridden states such as Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Sudan, participants also discussed the state of sexual violence in America and the U.S. military.

Read more: http://freebeacon.com/symposium-discusses-how-masculinity-contributes-to-mass-violence-sexual-assault/

Top JAG’s letter sparks IG complaint

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Top JAG’s letter sparks IG complaint

A private attorney has accused Judge Advocate General Lt. Gen. Richard Harding and another Air Force lawyer of improperly trying to persuade the JAG corps to support maintaining sexual assault cases inside the chain of command.

Susan Burke, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who represents victims of military sexual assault, has asked the Defense Department Inspector General to investigate an October letter by Harding and Col. Jeffrey Rockwell to Air Force attorneys.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20131031/NEWS/310310028/Top-JAG-s-letter-sparks-IG-complaint

Federal judge denies midshipman’s motion to recuse superintendent in sexual assault case

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Federal judge denies midshipman’s motion to recuse superintendent in sexual assault case

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — A federal judge has denied a request by a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman accused of sexual assault to recuse the academy’s superintendent from the case.

Defendant Josh Tate’s attorney, Jason Ehrenberg, said Wednesday he still hopes to prove undue command influence prompted the case to move forward to a court-martial because of a heightened focus on sexual assault in the military.

Read more: http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/51d2e79e753d4637adf677b7e5dc1cc8/MD–Naval-Academy-Sexual-Assault

Attention all Airmen: AF holds sexual assault offenders accountable, convictions now online

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USAF SealROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — You’ve heard a lot lately about the topic of sexual assault. You will continue to hear a lot about it in the weeks and months ahead. It’s important that each Air Force member understands the importance of the Air Force addressing and solving this real issue.

Each allegation of a criminal offense must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In court, the court members and military judge must exercise their independent judgment in determining the facts of a particular case and, if the accused is guilty, determine an appropriate punishment. When a person is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, it’s often possible to identify recurring themes and risks. In that way, we can all work together to protect ourselves, protect each other and combat the problem head on.

To this end, the Air Force now publishes sexual assault convictions online. Anyone can go to the website and review more than 100 sexual assault convictions from across the Air Force. After a few minutes of reviewing the facts of the cases that resulted in a conviction, you will soon see many cases are very similar – they involve: the use of alcohol; the absence of personal respect for the victim; and the absence of the victim’s consent.