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By Joseph Ax
(Reuters) - The number of sexual assaults in the U.S. military is likely significantly higher than official government estimates, according to a new study released on Wednesday.
The Department of Defense estimated approximately 35,900 sexual assault cases in 2021 and 29,000 in 2023, but the study's author said a synthesis of independent data yielded estimates of 75,569 cases in 2021 and 73,695 in 2023, more than twice as high.
On average, nearly one-quarter of active-duty women and 1.9% of active-duty men experienced sexual assault during the years of the Afghanistan war from 2001 to 2021, according to the study, which was published by the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
Black women and LGBTQ service members were more likely to experience sexual harassment and assault, according to the paper.
The prevalence of sexual assault has remained high despite years of efforts to address the problem, the study said.
"During the post-9/11 wars, the prioritization of force readiness above all else allowed the problem of sexual assault to fester, papering over internal violence and gender inequalities within military institutions," the study's author, University of Sheffield Professor Jennifer Greenberg, wrote.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it would be "inappropriate 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 accountable," the statement added. "Sexual violence will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored within our ranks."
In 2021, U.S. lawmakers approved a defense bill that included an overhaul of the military justice system, taking decisions on whether to prosecute cases of rape or sexual assault out of the hands of military commanders.
Those provisions were inspired by the case of Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old Army specialist who was murdered after reporting sexual harassment.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell)
