Is it ok for the military to cover up what happens to rape victims?



This is Private First Class LaVena Johnson of Missouri. An honors student who nonetheless didn't quite know what she wanted to do with her life, she enlisted in the Army right out of high school in 2003 and was sent to Iraq, where she died. When the Army returned her mutilated body to her grieving parents as a suicide, her dad, Dr. John Johnson, said to himself and the Army coroner, "Somebody murdered my daughter and you picked the wrong person to fuck with." Fucking right.
When LaVena's father finally brought himself to look at his daughter's corpse in 2005, sent home from Iraq with a report that she'd committed suicide by shooting herself in the left side of her head with an M-16 - which, by the way, is not a handgun but a relatively long rifle, he thought there was something wrong.
Private LaVena Johnson's nose was broken, teeth were loose, one eye was concave and there were abrasions over her body. The supposed M-16 hole to the head was far too small for the revolver-sized exit wound, and was on the wrong side of her skull for a right-handed woman to have pulled the trigger. Her genital area showed evidence of acid, perhaps used to destroy DNA evidence. She had white military gloves glued to her burned hands.
Since then, the Army has continued to insist that the LaVena committed suicide by pointing her rifle with her non-dominant hand at the side of her head and set herself on fire, all after she beat herself up and poured acid on her genitals (since their was no apparent investigation into whatever happened there). Oh, and there was a trail of blood leading away from the tent where her body was found.
Her father has been trying for nearly 3 years to get someone - including Congress - to investigate the death of his daughter, which he feels was a cover-up or conspiracy in the manner of Pat Tillman. Of course, he's trying to get people to pay attention to his African-American daughter's "suicide" and not the friendly-fire death of a white male NFL player, which is probably part of the problem. Lara Battles, spokesperson for the House Armed Services Committee, told KMOV, "At this time the House Armed Services Committee is looking into Private Johnson's case, but no decisions have been made for a formal investigation."


Top Opinion
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Xerxes,Phantom of PHAET 2012/04/10 13:52:01No, explain+10As a Vet, I can tell you rape is not the only crime that is covered up. Military does this strictly as PR, if people think they can come to harm on a military installation then no one will re-up or join.






















These women signed up and risked their lives for our country (that includes the people who voted yes) we owe them justice for what was done to them at the hands of fellow US soldiers none the less!
May LaVena Johnson RIP and may her family find justice for these crimes against her.
What should scare everyone in this country is that the government and military is allowed to have this much power.
1 - What is done can never be undone, nor made right, but we must seek whatever measure of justice can be attained for the victims. Equally as important is to prevent the criminals from being able to do so again in the future.
2 - The military is supposedly built upon a foundation of honor and integrity. Incidents such as this bring discredit to the entire organization.
"let justice be done, though the heavens fall."
Look at Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, etc. Somebody always lets it slip and it seems to usually be the persons responsible. These were minor compared to murdering one of your own then trying to cover it up, and doing such a juvenile job at that.
another Vietnam situation. I think this is the reason we didn't attack Iran 6 years ago when they were stirring up trouble in Iraq.
Bad situation either way. Everybody in the area looks alike but them, definitely doesn't help rapid FOF identification. Demoralization will be at all time highs. Last thing we need is another front right now.
so table it until the war is over. Otherwise, you divert resources away from the mission.
Not saying don't bring them to justice, I'm just saying don't make it public...yet.