Report: 284 Sexual Assaults Fall Through the Cracks at VA Facilities
WASHINGTON — The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, has released an audit of the Veterans Affairs system. The resulting report states that 284 sexual assault incidents reported to the VA Police were not relayed to VA officials or the Inspector General’s Office.
The investigation was launched at the request of the House Veterans Affairs Committee due to the changing demographics of patients being treated by the VA, CNN reports. The VA has developed initiatives to attract specific groups of veterans, including women, young veterans returning from the Middle East and veterans that have been incarcerated.
According to the GAO’s report, the VA must improve its reporting and monitoring of allegations of sexual assault by clarifying expectations about what information related to sexual assault incidents should be reported to VISN and VHA Central Office leadership teams. Also, the VA should implement a centralized tracking mechanism that would allow sexual assault incidents to be consistently monitored by VHA Central Office staff, among other improvements.
Related Articles:
- How to Comply With the Dept. of Ed’s Title IX Sexual Violence Guidance
- Sexual Assault Prevention Education: Getting the Message Through to Students
- Clery Reporting: Whose Job Is It Anyway?
- Clery Reporting: How to Properly Classify Incidents
- Campus Sexual Assaults: How Community Policing Can Make a Difference
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