So Much for Due Process and Privacy

November 26, 2005

Update: Thousands of individuals and organizations sent comments to the Department of Defense Army's Privacy unit, protesting the proposed sexual assault database with its intrusive and damaging cataloguing of personal and privileged information about victims of sexual violence and rape in the military. Four organizations, led by NOW, asked their activists to send comments, including Stop Family Violence, the Miles Foundation and the Feminist Majority. In addition, congressmembers, led by Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), also sent comments. The deadline for comments was the Friday after Thanksgiving, and details about the Army's response to these comments will be coming in the weeks ahead.

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The U.S. Army, Department of Defense proposes to collect names and comprehensive data on sexual assault victims and alleged assailants for their military database — activists need to voice their concerns before November 25! The intrusive nature of this data collection will dissuade victims from reporting and deny the accused of due process.

Background:

The Army's Freedom of Information/Privacy Division, has proposed action that will add a system of data collection to record private and personal information of any civilian or military person involved in a sexual assault. This scheme, the Sexual Assault Data Management System, will be instituted unless enough comments are received to convince them otherwise.

This system would record the name, Social Security number, demographic information, date of birth, service data and all investigation information of: ANY member of the Army who has been identified as a victim of or as an alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault; ANY civilian who is identified as a victim of a sexual assault allegedly committed by a member of the Army; ANY civilian who is identified as the alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault involving a member of the Army; and ANY civilian victim treated for sexual assault at an Army medical facility.

Janice Thornton, privacy act manager for the Army's Records Management and Declassification Agency, is collecting comments about this proposed system. Please send comments to her, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and David Chu, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

For more information:

• Federal Register Announcement of Database
• Federal Register Announcement of Exemptions to Database
• Army to launch database on sexual assault incidents
• Defense officials release set of sexual assault policies
• Discussion of Military policy directives addressing confidentiality around Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence And Stalking Associated With The US Armed Forces