[NOW Action List] Army to Institute Dangerous Sexual Assault Database

Support NOW's Work  |	November 17, 2005	|  Tell a Friend

Action Needed Background All NOW Actions More About Violence Against Women		So much for due process and privacy 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. Action Needed: Send an e-mail to the Army, Department of Defense and ask them to table this invasion of privacy. Collecting anonymous data about the number, time and place of reported incidents of sexual violence is one thing. Documenting name, rank, serial number, Social Security number, a description of the incident and details of medical and mental health treatment is unconscionable and will bring the reporting of sexual violence and assault in the military to a standstill. Send a message now (we've provided model comments or you can add your own personal comments). 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 on November 25, 2005, 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. Send your comments now. 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
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