The number of U.S. troops who reported that they had been sexually assaulted rose by 8 percent over the past year, Defense Department officials said, a statistic that will further fuel a debate in Congress over whether the military is effectively prosecuting sex crimes.
While most sexual-assault victims still are apparently unwilling to come forward, a Pentagon study that will be released Thursday found gradual progress in that area. The report estimates that 24 percent of all victims filed reports during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up from 11 percent two years earlier, according to officials briefed on the details.
The Pentagon has been under pressure to show it has made progress in preventing and prosecuting sex offenses, amid threats by lawmakers that they may overhaul the military justice system and strip commanders of their power to oversee such cases
