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Preserving Military Records On Sexual Assault

By Bruce Hagevik, NewsRadio 830 WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is co-sponsoring legislation requiring all branches of the military to permanently preserve records on sexual assault cases.

"In '09 there were a total of over 3,000 reports of sexual assault from people who are serving in the military. That was an 11 percent increase over '08," said Klobuchar.

The Department of Defense estimates only about 14 percent of sexual assaults are reported.

"The rules are really antiquated and all of the data is not stored," said Klobuchar.

A survey by the American Legion among women veterans shows nearly 40 percent of female veterans were dissatisfied with the VA's screening process for military sexual trauma.

Klobuchar says the increased number of women in the military has brought more urgency for her proposal.

"It provides for uniform storage of this data so that victims later can go back, prosecutors can go back and access that data," the Minnesota Democrat said.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Bruce Hagevik Reports

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