WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy says he is ordering a full independent investigation into the murder of 22-year-old Spc. Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood in Texas.
Domingo Garcia with the League of United Latin American Citizens said that before her death, Guillen filed a sexual harassment charge against her alleged killer but was ignored.
Garcia, however, said Guillen is not alone.
“We now have thousands of women who have come forward and said, ‘I was raped, I was abused. I complained, I tried to bring it up and nothing happened,’” Garcia said.
Texas Democratic Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia said there will also be a panel of experts to take a broader look into how the military handles sexual harassment.
“To look at the culture, to look at the climate, to look at the environment, to look at the procedures and the processes. To see just how they can do better,” Rep. Garcia said.
When finished, Rep. Garcia said all of the findings will be available to Congress to then decide if more needs to be done.
“When a woman puts on the uniform and agrees to serve our country and takes that oath, she should be treated equally to the men in the Army,” Domingo Garcia said.