MEDIA ADVISORY: Tucson Family Protests at Base Where Pilot Convicted of Sexual Assault Transferred
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2013
Contact: Brian Purchia, , brian@protectourdefenders.com
Tucson Contact: Max Wertheimer, 415-302-1584, max@protectourdefenders.com
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
VICTIM’S FAMILY AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS TO PROTEST OUTSIDE TUCSON BASE WHERE AIR FORCE PILOT CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT TO BE TRANSFERRED; CALL FOR HIS DISMISSAL
Lt. Col. James Wilkerson is being transferred to Davis-Monthan (Tucson, AZ) in wake of aggravated sexual assault conviction overturned by Lt. Gen. Franklin; Wilkerson’s victim’s family lives in Tucson and are protesting transfer, calling for the removal of both men.
TUCSON, AZ – Lt. Col James Wilkerson was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a civilian contractor at Aviano Air Base in Italy. As his punishment, Wilkerson was dismissed from the Air Force and sentenced to one year in jail. Lt. Gen Craig Franklin then overturned the conviction and freed his fellow pilot, reinstating him back into the Air Force. Now Wilkerson is being reassigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where many of Wilkerson’s victim’s family reside.
The victim’s family, Protect Our Defenders, survivors of military sexual assault, and other advocates for victims of sexual assault will hold a protest today, Thursday, April 25 at 4:30pm outside of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (Intersection of S. Kolb Rd & E Irvington Rd) calling on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to remove Wilkerson for conduct unbecoming an officer, unrelated to the Aviano case. They will also call for Secretary Hagel to remove Franklin for undermining good order and discipline by acting on his bias and beliefs rather than the facts and the judgment of senior members of the jury he selected that found Wilkerson guilty.
Wilkerson’s victim reached out to Protect Our Defenders looking for support after the verdict in her case was set aside. The victim’s brother, Dr. Stephen Hanks; Dr. Shelli Hanks, sister-in-law, Panayiota Bertzikis, survivor and founder of Military Rape Crisis Center in Tucson; and Miranda Petersen, of Protect Our Defenders; will speak at the protest.
Protect Our Defenders will also collect signatures for a Causes.com petition calling for the removal ofboth Franklin and Wilkerson that has been signed by more than 3,400 supporters, calling on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to take swift and decisive action in combating the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military by removing these two officers. We agree with Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Welsh who has said, “every supervisor who isn’t actively engaged in being part of the solution of this is part of the problem.”
WHAT:
Press Conference
WHO:
Dr. Stephen Hanks
Dr. Shelli Hanks
Panayiota Bertzikis
Founder, Military Rape Crisis Center
Miranda Petersen
Policy Advisor, Protect Our Defenders
Sexual Assault Survivor
WHEN:
4:30 PM Local Time, April 25
WHERE:
At the intersection of S. Kolb Rd & E Irvington Rd. Tucson, AZ [View on Google Maps]
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
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Protect Our Defenders petition Calling on Sec. Hagel to Remove Lt. Gen. Franklin and Lt. Col. Wilkerson: http://www.causes.com/aviano
AP: Family upset over Air Force officer’s transfer
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Arizona Republic: Protest planned over base transfer of sex-scandal figure
http://www.azcentral.com/news/
Stars & Stripes: Air Force to probe new allegations in sex assault case that roiled military justice system
http://www.stripes.com/news/
Air Force Times: Sex assault clemency surprised prosecutor
http://www.navytimes.com/
Dallas Morning News: Air Force officer, convicted of sexual assault, is assigned to victim’s hometown
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.
New York Times: Hagel to Open Review of Sexual Assault Case
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/
About Protect Our Defenders: Protect Our Defenders is a human rights organization. We seek to honor, support and give voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country, and re-victimized by the military adjudication system – a system that often blames the victim and fails to prosecute the perpetrator. Learn more about Protect Our Defenders at www.protectourdefenders.com or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/
Protect Our Defenders partners with Attorney Susan Burke, Burke PLLC to advance lawsuits filed against the DoD and service academies for repeatedly ignoring rape, sexual assault and harassment, failing to prosecute perpetrators and retaliating against the victim.
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