Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday addressed a viral TikTok video about an exciting Marine saying its “perpetrator,” who admitted to misconduct, had been allowed to remain in the service.
Leading the news: Austin called the video “deeply disturbing” and said he has asked his staff to get more information and help the Navy.
- In the video, the Navy, through tears, says a commander-in-chief had intervened to allow her alleged perpetrator to remain in the body, despite an “admission of guilt.”
- “That’s exactly why” military women have died by suicide, the Marine adds.
- The video, posted Thursday on TikTok, has gone viral on various social media platforms.
What they say: “We are aware of the video circulating on social media about one of our Marines, “the Marine Corps said in a statement Friday Friday.
- “This video specifically refers to a allegation of misconduct in connection with the misappropriation and distribution of personal information,” the body added.
- “The current administrative separation process of the accused author mentioned in the video is ongoing. The video member in the video is safe and has been given the opportunity to meet with senior representatives at his command.”
- “We take all allegations of conduct and prohibited activities seriously to ensure that our people have the full support of appropriate resources specific to the nature of an incident.”
The big picture: In one of his first official acts as head of the Pentagon, Austin led senior military leaders to send him reports on sexual assault prevention programs so that the department can assess which initiatives have been most effective.
- There were 7,825 reports of sexual assault involving members of the service as victims in 2019, 3% more than the previous year, according to the Department of Defense.
- Although the military has been criticized for handling allegations of sexual misconduct for years, the issue gained attention after the 20-year-old murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén, who told family and friends that she had been sexually harassed before she disappeared from Fort Hood in April 2020.
- An independent review of the case found that “there was a permissive environment for sexual assault and sexual harassment in Fort Hood.”
Austin reiterated Friday that the issue of sexual assault is taken “very, very seriously.”
- “We’ve been working on this for a really long time, but we didn’t get it right,” Austin said. “And my commitment to my soldiers, sailors, aviators and Marines and dependents is that we will do everything in our power to do it right.”
In depth: Austin orders the evaluation of military sexual assault prevention programs