Pentagon study calls for reforms at US military academies to combat wave of sexual assaults ( thehill.com )

An independent commission team released its report after investigating and reviewing procedures at three military academies that reported a surge in sexual assaults and misconduct cases this year: the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“Data continue to suggest that the occurrence of these crimes is trending upward,” Austin wrote. “That is disturbing and unacceptable. It endangers our teammates and degrades our readiness.”

In the past school year, sexual assaults at the Air Force, Navy and Military academies reached the highest level on record since the Defense Department began tracking the issue in 2006, the Pentagon said in March.

The number of reported cases surged to 206 cases in the 2021-22 school year, up 45 cases from the previous year, which had been the highest on record.