Posted on Jun 24, 2017
Do you believe there is false SHARP reporting in our military? If so, what impact do you think it has on the force?
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UCMJ
Command Climate
SHARP
Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC)
JAG
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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Having close contact with someone who has been falsely accused and dealing with the aftermath of the entire situation, I firmly believe that false reporting is on the rise. It is a tragedy that sexual assault went unreported and unpunished for such a long period of time but I'm afraid the pendulum has swung too far to the opposite side. If you are a soldier falsely accused, you are quite frankly viewed as guilty until proven innocent and even if you are eventually exonerated, the truth is your career is over and your life changed forever.
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SPC Brady Allen No I do not.
I have been involved (was) with sexual assaults for over 33 years, and the truth is until recently victims generally rarely reported sexual assaults. I was on the team that created SHARP from the previous programs, which were not working; We were losing this fight. We knew when we changed everything, reporting would increase, which could indicate to some assaults were increase, not just reporting. This has long been an issue, we need to eradicate in our ranks.
At the same time, the idea of false reporting, while it does occur, is also largely a myth in terms of frequency and percentage of allegations. Most studies show false reporting at between 2 and 10%.
So, no I do not believe this is ruining our military. If someone makes a false report, we prosecute them, plain and simple.
We must do everything we can to protect our brothers and sisters, and unfortunately, false allegations and reporting are part and parcel to all justice and investigative systems.
The real questions SPC Brady Allen are how do we eliminate sexual assaults and false reporting.
http://www.mncasa.org/stop-administrators-project-false-reporting
I have been involved (was) with sexual assaults for over 33 years, and the truth is until recently victims generally rarely reported sexual assaults. I was on the team that created SHARP from the previous programs, which were not working; We were losing this fight. We knew when we changed everything, reporting would increase, which could indicate to some assaults were increase, not just reporting. This has long been an issue, we need to eradicate in our ranks.
At the same time, the idea of false reporting, while it does occur, is also largely a myth in terms of frequency and percentage of allegations. Most studies show false reporting at between 2 and 10%.
So, no I do not believe this is ruining our military. If someone makes a false report, we prosecute them, plain and simple.
We must do everything we can to protect our brothers and sisters, and unfortunately, false allegations and reporting are part and parcel to all justice and investigative systems.
The real questions SPC Brady Allen are how do we eliminate sexual assaults and false reporting.
http://www.mncasa.org/stop-administrators-project-false-reporting
The Truth about False Allegations | MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Sexual assault programs: get training and networking to end sexual violence and promote justice for victims and survivors at MNCASA.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
I don't know about false reports but I think some soldiers fail to understand what is sexual harassment and what is sexual assault (despite the mandatory training every year where we mind numblingly go over it).
I was a SARC for 2 years at BN, a few months at BDE until I PCSed. Right before I left a soldier made a claim that he was sexually assaulted by his squad leader. The soldier was a PFC, squad leader SSG. Division SARC handled it but the investigating officer came to talk to me. I read the complaint - this is what happened:
The PFC was in formation and the SSG walked by him and said "Why are you looking at me like I have a dick on my forehead." That's it. In no way, shape or form is that sexual harassment OR sexual assault. Is it unprofessional? Yes. The SSG was counseled and given training. I had to sit down and explain to the soldier why the report was ruled "unfounded" and we had to go talk to the BDE commander with him and the legal officer. Is it a false report? No that's a soldier who just obviously didn't understand what SH and SA are.
I think SHARP still has room for improvement too.
I was a SARC for 2 years at BN, a few months at BDE until I PCSed. Right before I left a soldier made a claim that he was sexually assaulted by his squad leader. The soldier was a PFC, squad leader SSG. Division SARC handled it but the investigating officer came to talk to me. I read the complaint - this is what happened:
The PFC was in formation and the SSG walked by him and said "Why are you looking at me like I have a dick on my forehead." That's it. In no way, shape or form is that sexual harassment OR sexual assault. Is it unprofessional? Yes. The SSG was counseled and given training. I had to sit down and explain to the soldier why the report was ruled "unfounded" and we had to go talk to the BDE commander with him and the legal officer. Is it a false report? No that's a soldier who just obviously didn't understand what SH and SA are.
I think SHARP still has room for improvement too.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
SSG (Join to see) - How do you prove that an accusation is false? Especially if someone makes a restricted report and there's no investigation? How do you know there are "many?" How were you involved with SHARP or the reporting process? What are you talking about the Army set up a "no reprisal" system for false accusations? I never heard that the 2 1/2 years I was a SARC. That was 2 1/2 years ago but still. I try to keep up and never saw that. It's very hard to prove an allegation is false. Actually I know that when I was at Riley Division told me about a female soldier accused her commander of assaulting her. The only problem - he was at NTC at the time. She kept with her story and the police charged her with filing a false report. So that's the only way you're going to prove a false report is if there was no possible way the accused could have done it.
The unfounded or unsubstantiated reports don't mean that the accusation was false. It means there wasn't enough evidence for CID or the police to go forward and charge the accused. I have seen cases like that and had to explain to the victims what happened and see the hurt and disappointment.
The unfounded or unsubstantiated reports don't mean that the accusation was false. It means there wasn't enough evidence for CID or the police to go forward and charge the accused. I have seen cases like that and had to explain to the victims what happened and see the hurt and disappointment.
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
SPC Brady Allen - SHARP as a priority is mostly lip service anymore...
Well did you sexually harass the females?
Well did you sexually harass the females?
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CPO Dj CALDWe
Any sexual assault is unacceptable; but, then, so too is any false allegation. BOTH of them destroy lives (period), there is no valid equivocation. In point of fact, the latter ALSO erodes the former to the extent that it actually has a tendency in reason to render suspect the copious amount of "valid" claims of assault. To destroy a man or woman because the climate permits it ("false allegations") is just as unacceptable as destroying someone because the climate is/was indifferent to it ("sexual assault").
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are you implying that false reporting sharp incidents are a systemic issue?
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