military sexual assault

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has enough bipartisan support to approve legislation to transform how major criminal cases are handled for servicemembers. But hurdles remain.

A special Pentagon panel is recommending a seismic shift in how the U.S. military handles sexual assault cases, saying independent judge advocates, not commanding officers, should decide whether to pursue legal charges in such cases.

The Arizona Republican said she did not report the assault because "I didn't trust the system at the time." The revelation came during a hearing on sexual assault in the military.