New military program to protect victims sees early success
Protect Our Defenders Policy and Program Director Miranda Petersen is featured in this article from MSNBC:
Miranda Peterson, policy and program director of Protect Our Defenders, also sees progress. But she says she has heard from SVCs – as the lawyers in the program are referred to – that there has been resistance to including them in the process. “We definitely support the program all the way and recognize there’s a lot of potential there,” she told msnbc.
Of course, improving the way survivors navigate the aftermath of being assaulted is only one part of reducing the number of sexual assaults. Until the military climate as a whole changes, SVCs could face a backlash from commanders and prosecutors.
“There’s definitely been some pushback on them. They’re seen as troublemakers,” Peterson said. Protect Our Defenders had heard reports from SVCs of being excluded from hearings and being denied access to crucial information. If the role is not respected, victims still have to deal with a hostile system. “Everyone agrees that this is needed for victims, and it’s a great program when it works. Sometimes it does work, but not if you’re denying SVCs the materials and resources they need to do their job,” Peterson said.
