Statement: Army Major Convicted of Serial Sexual Assault After Military Failed to Support 15 Victims
Protect Our Defenders filled critical gaps in advocacy and legal representation the military failed to provide civilian victims of Army serial predator
*Media Advisory* Trial Begins Against DC Army Major Charged in Sexual Assault Case Involving 20+ Victims, Including Civilians
With the military failing to provide legal support to civilian victims, Protect Our Defenders is stepping in to fill the...
New Pentagon Data Shows Military Sexual Assault Reforms Working, But Trump-Hegseth Agenda Undermines Gains
Ending Congressionally mandated programs and weakening protections will harm morale, deter reporting, and jeopardize mission readiness and unit cohesion.
SecDef Hegseth Memo Puts “Thumb on Scale” for Accused: Erodes Trust and Threatens Military Readiness
Protect Our Defenders warns that discouraging reporting will deepen the armed forces’ recruitment and retention crisis
Statement: Sexual Assault Prevention Programs Slashed as Military Faces Recruitment Shortfall
POD is calling for an immediate halt to the cancellation of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response programs across all military branches.
Statement: Army Doctor Sentenced to 164 Months for 41 Counts of Sexual Assault
On January 15, Maj. Michael Stockin was sentenced to 164 months – the maximum sentence – after pleading guilty to sexually abusing 41 former patients (soldiers) at Madigan Army Hospital, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Hegseth’s Dangerous Views and Troubled Past Make Him Unfit to Serve as Secretary of Defense
Hegseth has expressed that women should not serve especially in combat roles, raising serious concerns about eroding progress in attracting top talent to the armed forces
Statement: Army Doctor Pleads Guilty in Historic Military Sexual Assault Case; Court to Decide Fate
On January 7, Maj. Michael Stockin pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 41 former patients (soldiers) at Madigan Army Hospital, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
POD Statement: Army Battalion Commander Found Guilty of Sexual Harassment in Landmark Military Justice Case
POD supports the victims who bravely stood up against the scourge of sexual harassment and testified during the court martial.
Protect Our Defenders Calls for Senator Ernst to Replace Hegseth as Secretary of Defense Nominee
Ernst’s leadership and reform record make her the right choice for a military facing recruitment and retention crises
Protect Our Defenders Urges Congress to Reject Pete Hegseth, Cites Risks to Healthy Command Climate, Removing Women in Combat, and Faces Sexual Assault Allegations
Protect Our Defenders warns Hegseth’s stance could undermine morale, justice reforms, and safety in the Armed Forces
Army Major Charged with Sexual Assault-Related Charges Involving at Least 20 Alleged Victims
POD is working with survivors, including civilians, in the case against Maj. Batt and is offering pro-bono legal support to...
Protect Our Defenders Applauds Military Reporter Rose Thayer on First Place Recognition
Protect Our Defenders (POD) congratulates Stars and Stripes reporter Rose Thayer on winning first place for enterprise reporting from Military Reporters and Editors, a distinguished nonprofit organization dedicated to journalists covering the military, national security, and defense.
***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Army to Rule on Media Protections in U.S. v Major Michael D. Stockin
If you would like to interview Ryan Guilds and Christine Dunn, legal representation for survivors involved in this hearing, or...
Protect Our Defenders Calls for Congressional Hearing Amid Coast Guard’s Alleged Sexual Assault Coverup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2024 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Calls for Congressional Hearing Amid Coast Guard’s Alleged Sexual Assault...
Statement: Protect Our Defenders Applauds Historic Decline in Military Sexual Assaults
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2024 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Applauds Historic Decline in Military Sexual Assaults The report found...
***STATEMENT*** Lead Army Prosecutor Fired Following Emails Revealed Disparaging Survivors’ Assault Allegations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 6, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Lead Army Prosecutor Fired Following Emails Revealed Disparaging Survivors’ Assault Allegations POD calls...
***STATEMENT*** Army Doctor with Over 100 Victims in Historic Military Sexual Assault Scandal Faces Hearing to Determine Charges
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 2, 2023 ***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Army Doctor with Over 100 Victims in Historic Military Sexual Assault Scandal...
***STATEMENT*** Army Doctor Charged with Sexually Assaulting Multiple Active-Duty Servicemembers; POD Calls for End to Feres Doctrine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Army Doctor Charged with Sexually Assaulting Multiple Active-Duty Servicemembers; POD Calls for End...
***STATEMENT*** Washington Post Breaks News of Army Doctor Sexually Assaulting More than Twenty Active-Duty Servicemembers; POD Call for End to Feres Doctrine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 28, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Washington Post Breaks News of Army Doctor Sexually Assaulting More than Twenty Active-Duty...
***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Applauds President Biden for New Executive Order Implementing Historic Military Justice Reforms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Applauds President Biden for New Executive Order Implementing Historic Military...
***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Challenges Partisan House Passage of Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Challenges Partisan House Passage of Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense...
***STATEMENT*** POD, Service Women’s Action Network & Minority Veterans of America Call for Re-Examination of Pretrial Procedures by DAC-IPAD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders, Service Women’s Action Network and Minority Veterans of America Call...
***STATEMENT*** Convicted Air Force General Loses Two Stars, To Retire as Colonel After Sexual Misconduct
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Convicted Air Force General Loses Two Stars, To Retire as Colonel After Sexual...
***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Celebrates Historic Joint Chiefs of Staff Nomination of Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 26, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Protect Our Defenders Celebrates Historic Joint Chiefs of Staff Nomination of Air Force...
***STATEMENT*** Univision Film #IamVanessaGuillen Wins Webby Award, Recognizing Power of Survivors’ Storytelling
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** Univision Film #IamVanessaGuillen Wins Webby Award, Recognizing Power of Survivors’ Storytelling Made in partnership with...
***STATEMENT*** New Pentagon Report Details Increase in Sexual Assault Reports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** New Pentagon Report Details Increase in Sexual Assault Reports Reported military sexual assault...
***STATEMENT*** POD Calls For Independent Investigation Into Fort Hood Climate & Culture Following the Tragic Death of Private Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** POD Calls For Independent Investigation Into Fort Hood Climate & Culture Following the...
***STATEMENT*** POD Announces Legal Counsel for The Family of Private Basaldua Ruiz
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** POD Announces Legal Counsel for The Family of Private Basaldua Ruiz POD and...
***STATEMENT*** POD Calls on Biden Administration and Congress to Scrutinize Fort Hood Investigation Following the Tragic Death of Private Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** POD Calls on Biden Administration and Congress to Scrutinize Fort Hood Investigation Following...
***STATEMENT*** POD Calls For Congressional Hearings and Legislative Action in the Wake of Abhorrent Military Academies Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** POD Calls For Congressional Hearings and Legislative Action in the Wake of Abhorrent...
***STATEMENT*** New Report Details Dramatic Increase in Sexual Assault at US Military Academies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** New Report Details Dramatic Increase in Sexual Assault at US Military Academies Nearly...
***Announcement*** Protect Our Defenders’ Next Chapter
February 16, 2023 ***Announcement*** Protect Our Defenders’ Next Chapter We have a lot to celebrate. As we reflect on the...
***Announcement*** #IAmVanessaGuillen to be shown at this year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival
January 26, 2023 ***Announcement*** #IAmVanessaGuillen to be shown at this year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival Protect Our Defenders is...
***STATEMENT*** POD Files Amicus Brief on Mental Health Privilege as RAND Report Highlights Barriers to Mental Health Care Faced By Military Sexual Assault Survivors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2023 ***STATEMENT*** POD Files Amicus Brief on Mental Health Privilege as RAND Report Highlights Barriers...
***STATEMENT*** 2023 NDAA Advances Historic Military Justice Reform; Removes All Prosecutorial Authority From Chain of Command
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2022 ***STATEMENT*** 2023 NDAA Advances Historic Military Justice Reform; Removes All Prosecutorial Authority From Chain...
***STATEMENT*** Netflix Releases “I Am Vanessa Guillen” Documentary; Details Guillen Family’s Fight to Reform Military Justice System
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2022 Netflix Releases “I Am Vanessa Guillen” Documentary; Details Guillen Family’s Fight to Reform Military...
***YALE VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES CLINIC PRESS RELEASE*** Military Justice Reform Advocates Sue For Servicemember Prosecution Records
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 3, 2022 ***YALE VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES CLINIC PRESS RELEASE*** Military Justice Reform Advocates Sue For Servicemember Prosecution...
***STATEMENT*** 2022 SAPR Report Reveals Highest Reported Estimate of Sexual Harassment and Assault in Military History
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2022 2022 SAPR Report Reveals Highest Reported Estimate of Sexual Harassment and Assault in Military...
***STATEMENT*** Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Military Sexual Assault Survivor Challenging Feres Doctrine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2022 ***STATEMENT*** Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Military Sexual Assault Survivor...
***STATEMENT*** Univision Film “#IamVanessaGuillen” Tells Story of Survivors’ Resilience and Fight For Justice Following Vanessa Guillen’s Murder
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 2022 ***STATEMENT*** Univision Film “#IamVanessaGuillen” Tells Story of Survivors’ Resilience and Fight For Justice Following...
**STATEMENT*** Senate and House Armed Services Committees Furthers Justice for Military Sexual Assault Survivors in 2023 NDAA Markup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2022 **STATEMENT*** Senate and House Armed Services Committees Furthers Justice for Military Sexual Assault Survivors...
**STATEMENT*** General Court Martialed and Found Guilty on Abusive Sexual Contact Charge for the First Time in Air Force History
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26, 2022 **STATEMENT*** General Court Martialed and Found Guilty on Abusive Sexual Contact Charge for the...
POD’s Justice Award Goes To…
Each year we give the POD Justice Award to a different legal team dedicated to helping survivors. Last week it...
Congreso Anuncia Acuerdo en Reforma Transformativa sobre Justicia Militar para Enfrentar la Epidemia de Abuso Sexual Militar
**INFORME** Congreso Anuncia Acuerdo en Reforma Transformativa sobre Justicia Militar para Enfrentar la Epidemia de Abuso Sexual Militar Protect our...
Congress Announces Agreement on Transformative Military Justice Reforms to Address Military Sexual Assault Epidemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2021 ***STATEMENT *** Congress Announces Agreement on Transformative Military Justice Reforms to Address Military Sexual...
***STATEMENT *** Washington Post Report Says Congress on Verge of Gutting Sexual Assault Reforms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***STATEMENT *** Washington Post Report Says Congress on Verge of Gutting Sexual Assault Reforms After over 30...
***STATEMENT *** Sweeping Military Justice Reform to Be Added to Annual Defense Bill
Washington, DC – Yesterday, the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by Senator Reed, adopted the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act...
***STATEMENT*** Congresswoman Speier Introduces the Vanessa Guillén Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act; Joins Forces with Senator Gillibrand and Speaker Pelosi
Washington, DC – Today, Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA), Chair of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, and Representative Michael R....
***STATEMENT*** PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS APPLAUDS PENTAGON’S NEW CIVILIAN-LED COMMISSION ON MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT
Washington, DC – Today, the Pentagon announced the formation of a civilian-led commission to address the epidemic of military sexual assault. The...