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The New Paper
Sunday, Mar 11, 2012

Shocking sexual allegations have surfaced in the US army, after eight women Marines filed a lawsuit claiming that the US military officers tolerate a "staggering" level of sexual assaults.

The women were stationed at one of the country's most prestigious bases, the Daily Mail reported.

Lieutenant (Lt) Ariana Klay (above) and Lt Elle Helmer both claim they were raped at the US Marine Barracks in Washington D.C.

They said that in addition to being raped with little or no justice following the alleged incidents, their fellow Marines ridiculed them for being "sluts" and "walking mattresses".

Lt Klay, who graduated with honours from the US Naval Academy, joined the Marine Corps, and went on to serve in Iraq, claims that her rapists threatened to kill her and said they wanted to humiliate her.

The lawsuit claims that once Lt Klay began serving at the Marine Barracks in Washington, she encountered an atmosphere of "harassment and abuse that culminated in Lt Klay being gang-raped at her private residence one block away from the base" in August 2010.

The document alleges that several senior officers made verbal sexual advances toward her, and the sexual assault culminated when her civilian boss and her commanding officer allegedly entered her residence.

Lt Klay told Today, an American breakfast television show: "They threatened me with death and raped me."

She added: "(My commanding officer) said that I had humiliated him in front of his junior Marines and he wanted to humiliate me back."

After Lt Klay reported the rape, the Marine Corps said she must have welcomed the assaults because she wore make-up and skirts - which were part of her regulated uniform - and exercised in running shorts, the lawsuit claims.

Lt Helmer, who was the former Barracks public information officer and a lieutenant, said she was also raped by a superior officer back in March 2006, Today reported.

She told the show that a Marine Barracks officer "grabbed my shoulder and pushed me against the wall and tried to kiss me".

When she tried to flee, she said the officer "slammed the door on my arm and pulled me back in". After that moment, she said she lost consciousness, but is sure of what happened.

Zero doubt
She said: "I have zero doubt that my company commander raped me the night of March 16."

The women said they've suffered depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder because of the assaults.

The lawsuit names as defendants past and present military leaders, including Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and his predecessors.

The lawsuit also said that that the men in question were in no way punished. Beyond that, some of them were featured on a nationally televised recruitment commercial while under investigation.

Lt Klay and Lt Helmer first spoke publicly about their stories in The Invisible War, a documentary slated for public release soon. It looks into the alarming number of sexual assaults and rapes within ranks.

The lawsuit is the latest in an shocking number of sexual assault allegations and estimation by Mr Panetta in January that more than 19,000 assaults annually occur within the ranks.