By Phil Helsel and Courtney Kube The number of sexual assaults in the U.S. military is likely two to four times higher than government estimates, according to a new study out of Brown University. The study, completed by the Costs of War Project at Brown University’s Watson Institute, compared Defense Department data on sexual assaults with data that was not from the DOD to estimate sexual assault figures in the military since 2001. “During and beyond the 20 years of the post-9/11 wars, independent data suggest that actual sexual assault prevalence is two to four times higher than DoDestimations — 75,569 cases in 2021 and 73,695 cases in 2023,” the authors wrote in the report, which was released Wednesday. Defense Department figures estimate that there were approximately 35,900 cases in 2021 and around 29,000 military personnel assaulted in 2023, the study said. The Brown report said that independent studies show higher estimates of the number of active-duty service members experiencing sexual assault, and it compared those studies with Defense Department numbers. “This report high-lights a middle range two to four times higher than DoDestimates — as likely providing the most accurate numbers,” it said. A Defense Department spokesperson said it would “be inappropri-ate to comment on the methodology of studies not conducted by the Department.” “The department continues our sustained progress to build strong command climates and prevent sexual assault, assist sexual assault survivors with recovery, and hold alleged offenders appropriately account-able,” the spokesperson added. “Sexual violence will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored within our ranks. Everything we are doing in this space is focused on helping us make lasting, meaningful change.” Among those mentioned in the report is Vanessa Guillén, a soldier at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), Texas, who had reported sexual harassment at the base and who officials say was later killed by another soldier, Spc. Aaron Robinson. Guillén’s April 2020 killing sparked calls for military reform and, in 2022, Congress passed the “I Am Vanessa Guillén Act” that changed the way the military handles sexual abuse-related investigations and allegations. Another soldier at Fort […]

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