Demand Justice for Vanessa Guillen!
[ [link removed] ]Vanessa Guillen
Tell Congress we MUST address sexual assault in the military NOW.
[ [link removed] ]take action
[ [link removed] ]Take Action
Dear Friend,
When one’s child joins the military, a parent may worry about their loved
one risking their life in active combat situations as part of their
service. What no parent should fear is that their child serving their
country could be harassed and killed at the hands of a fellow soldier.
Sexual harassment in the US military must end!
[ [link removed] ]Demand Justice for Vanessa Guillen NOW!
20-year-old Vanessa Guillen joined the US Army in 2018 to serve our
country as a private first class in the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood
in Texas. She was serving the country she loved and in return, she was
sexually harassed and brutally killed. She was seen for the last time on
April 22, at the parking lot of her barracks at Fort Hood, Texas. Human
remains found on Tuesday, June 30, near Fort Hood are believed to be hers.
A suspect in the case died by suicide when approached by police on
Wednesday, July 1st. [1]
Several weeks before her disappearance, Vanessa told her mother that
someone was sexually harassing her but she was afraid to report it because
she feared retaliation. Vanessa’s mother and family are demanding a
congressional investigation into the U.S. Army’s handling of Vanessa’s
disappearance and failing to protect her when she was being harassed. [2]
[ [link removed] ]Take action and help Vanessa’s mother and family demand investigations!
Sadly, Vanessa’s experience is not an isolated incident. According to an
anonymous survey of enlisted military service members, reports of military
sexual assaults jumped by 13% last year. The survey found that young and
junior enlisted women between the ages of 17 and 20 were most likely to
experience sexual assault. In the vast majority of cases, the alleged
perpetrator was a military man, often near the same rank as the victim and
usually someone she knows. And troublingly, 21% of the women who said they
reported a sexual assault believed that they suffered some type of
retaliation aimed at stopping them from making a complaint. This was the
exact fear Vanessa shared with her mom before she disappeared [3]
[ [link removed] ]Take Action: Demand a Congressional and independent investigation!
No one should be afraid to report sexual harassment and no mother should
be afraid that their children serving the country will be harassed and
killed by another soldier in the U.S. Army.
We are joining The League Of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) to
demand justice for Vanessa Guillen. We are urging our Members of Congress
to take the following actions:
* Call for an independent investigation of Guillen’s murder by trained
investigators and reporting and adjudicating cases out of the chain of
command of the Guillen case.
* Demanda a Congressional investigation to find out what the Army knew,
when and how and what their response was.
* Support the Military Justice Improvement Act (S. 1789) which:
* Gives military prosecutors the authority to decide which sexual
assault cases go to trial. This protects victims by allowing a
trained, legal professional to properly evaluate their case.
* Moves the authority to convene courts-martial (trials) for sexual
assault cases outside the chain of command. Convening is the
process of assembling and authorizing the court-martial,
including jury selection. By removing such authority from the
accused’s commander, victims will be better protected.
* Ensure that the Army conducts an independent investigation of
Guillen’s murder by trained investigators and reporting and
adjudicating cases out of the chain of command of the Guillen case.
* Ensure better treatment of women soldiers including basic respect, and
compassionate treatment; and accountability for perpetrators.
[ [link removed] ]URGE your member of Congress to take action and demand justice for
Vanessa Guillen NOW!
Impunity and injustice in these situations are unacceptable. Sexual
assault in the military is a systemic problem that we must address and
stop, and a Congressional hearing, independent investigation, and
legislative response are steps in the right direction. Vanessa’s family
deserves answers and justice, and we must stop sexual assault in the
military so that no other family has to experience this tragic and
senseless loss of life.
Sincerely,
-Xochitl, Nadia, Linda, Donna, Gloria, Kristin, and the entire
MomsRising/MamásConPoder team
P.S.– [ [link removed] ]Find this action alert in SPANISH on our MamásConPoder page.
[1] "[ [link removed] ]A Suspect Tied To The Disappearance Of Fort Hood Soldier Vanessa
Guillen Died By Suicide, The Army Said," Tasneem Nashrulla, Buzzfeed News.
[2] Ibid
[3] "[ [link removed] ]Reports of sexual assault in the military spike," Lolita C.
Baldor, AP News.
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