In an ideal investigation, a victim would feel at least some appeasement of these core concerns from investigators and counselors. The Victims’ Protection Act does guarantee all service members access to a Special Victims Counselor in the event of assault, allows victims to decide whether they would prefer their cases prosecuted in military or civilian courts, and prevents commanders from overturning sex crimes convictions. While these reforms were meant to increase victims’ autonomy, appreciation, and status when a sex crime is reported, survivor advocacy groups assert that these reforms do not go fare enough. Therefore there is disaffiliation between these groups and some senators that would seek to aid them. A victim of military sexual assault, Michael Matthews, offered the candid-yet-tragic, “You know McCaskill 's bill ain 't gonna work because the Pentagon likes her bill." Additionally, any affective reform must incorporate appreciation of the unique challenges faced by male survivors of military sexual assault, and Veterans Affairs (VA) health benefits should incorporate injuries and mental illnesses sustained because of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), the VA term for military sexual assault, into possible disability benefits. Being denied VA benefits further decreases the status and appreciation of MST victims and in many cases leads to a phenomenon called
In an ideal investigation, a victim would feel at least some appeasement of these core concerns from investigators and counselors. The Victims’ Protection Act does guarantee all service members access to a Special Victims Counselor in the event of assault, allows victims to decide whether they would prefer their cases prosecuted in military or civilian courts, and prevents commanders from overturning sex crimes convictions. While these reforms were meant to increase victims’ autonomy, appreciation, and status when a sex crime is reported, survivor advocacy groups assert that these reforms do not go fare enough. Therefore there is disaffiliation between these groups and some senators that would seek to aid them. A victim of military sexual assault, Michael Matthews, offered the candid-yet-tragic, “You know McCaskill 's bill ain 't gonna work because the Pentagon likes her bill." Additionally, any affective reform must incorporate appreciation of the unique challenges faced by male survivors of military sexual assault, and Veterans Affairs (VA) health benefits should incorporate injuries and mental illnesses sustained because of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), the VA term for military sexual assault, into possible disability benefits. Being denied VA benefits further decreases the status and appreciation of MST victims and in many cases leads to a phenomenon called