Wife Beating epidemic in US Military
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) - A spate of murders involving military spouses at the Fort Bragg army base has focused new attention on domestic violence in the U.S. armed services, which critics say the Pentagon has failed to adequately address.
studies have suggested that abuse rates are two to three times higher than in the civilian population.
Defense Department estimates suggest incidents of domestic violence in the military rose from 18.6 per 1,000 marriages in 1990 to 25.6 per 1,000 in 1996. Rates fell slightly from 1997-1999 but there were more moderate to severe incidents.
The figures did not include an unknown number of cases not reported or handled informally by commanders, or violence against girlfriends or unmarried live-in partners, who have no legal standing in the eyes of the military.
At Fort Bragg, home of elite U.S. airborne divisions and Special Forces, four soldiers allegedly killed their wives in June and July. Three were Special Forces soldiers who had served in Afghanistan. Two committed suicide and the other two were charged with murder. One victim was stabbed 70 times.
In a fifth case, a major in the Special Forces was allegedly killed by his wife, who was charged with murder.
Laura Sandler, who lives near Fort Bragg, said the army failed to do that in her case. She was married to a major who abused and no one in the chain of command would listen to her cries for help. A few years after she finally got rid of him, she started dating an enlisted man on the base.
“He was sweet at first but the beatings soon started. Once he beat me up in his barracks with four other soldiers watching. Nobody did anything. I went to his commanders. They said it was terrible but they did nothing,” she said.
Military wives and girlfriends may be especially vulnerable to violence because they often live far from family and friends. They also know an abuse report will quickly be passed on to unit commanders and get back to the abuser himself.
Many wives fear that if they speak up, their husbands’ careers will end, depriving the family of income and health benefits and provoking more rage and violence.
comment: This is the nation that wishes the whole world to be like them, woman beaters and abusers some role model that is, i don’t think so you can keep it!
