WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) —
April is Sexual Assault Consciousness and Prevention Month and a possibility to make Air Power Materiel Command personnel conscious of modifications in restricted reporting insurance policies and protections obtainable to victims.
“This coverage change is essential to SAPR reporting as a result of it provides AFMC victims, searching for providers, added management over their choices,” stated Yvonne Veil, AFMC Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program supervisor.
Victims of sexual assault nonetheless have a number of reporting choices. These embody restricted, unrestricted and unbiased reporting.
Restricted reporting permits the sufferer to make a report back to the SAPR workplace, however to not the Workplace of Particular Investigations. Unrestricted reporting requires a report be made to the OSI and command. Impartial reporting happens when a third-party experiences the incident to command or regulation enforcement. As soon as the sufferer’s management is aware of an incident has occurred, submitting a report is required.
Directions containing SAPR insurance policies had been re-released Nov. 10, 2021, and the restricted reporting choice was expanded following an Impartial Evaluate Fee’s findings. The findings prompted strengthening the unique insurance policies.
The brand new coverage change permits any AFMC sufferer to make a restricted report after information of the incident has been reported to officers, or SAPR. It is a main change from previous insurance policies which restricted choices after an assault was reported to command officers. Now, victims have the choice to make a restricted report even when the assault is disclosed by way of their chain of command so long as it’s not divulged to regulation enforcement.
Adjustments within the new insurance policies for restricted reporting embody:
–Confidential report made to the SAPR Workplace by the sufferer by way of signing DD Type 2910
-Accessible to navy members, dependents (18+) and civilian staff
-The sexual assault is NOT reported to OSI or command
-Sufferer could obtain medical care, together with forensic examination, advocacy, counseling and Sufferer’s Counsel
-Could select to go unrestricted at any time
-Victims could make a restricted report even when they disclose the assault to their commander, supervisor or chain of command, and earlier than or after an unbiased investigation is initiated so long as the sufferer has not disclosed the assault to regulation enforcement
-Could enter topic info into CATCH, a serial defender program which supplies individuals making a sexual assault report, the place the identify of the suspect shouldn’t be recognized by regulation enforcement, a possibility to anonymously submit suspect info to assist establish serial offenders.
AFMC strives for an surroundings the place sexual assault shouldn’t be tolerated and all Airmen are revered.
“SAPR’s major mission is to care for individuals. The expanded eligibility to file a restricted report provides our SAPR groups within the discipline larger flexibility in fulfilling the mission,” Viel stated.
Further information on SAPR will be discovered on the AFMC SAPR webpage.
