The U.S. Coast Guard has issued new guidance to prevent and respond to sexual assaults.
The service on Thursday released its Sexual Assault Prevention, Response, and Recovery (SAPRR) Action Plan, building on a plan initially introduced last March to combat sexual assault through specific actions and strategic objectives, including assigning leads to cases, scheduling completion dates so investigations don’t drag on, and reaching measures of success.
“Our people are our greatest treasure,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday in a statement. “We have a sacred duty to take the very best care of our teammates. Every Coast Guard man and woman—active duty, reserve, civilian, and Auxiliary—has a duty to take action to prevent and respond to sexual assault.
“Every one of us will act with the same courage and bias for action expected of us in rescuing someone in peril at sea.”
The SAPRR Action Plan is predicated on four specific objectives, or “lines of effort” as officials describe: prevention, response, recovery and accountability.
That translates to ensuring that every sexual assault stops before it occurs; every member is treated with dignity and respect; every victim and survivor receives expert care; and every offender is held accountable under the law.
What the SAPRR Plan Dictates
The service elaborated on the four aforementioned objectives.
In terms of prevention, SAPPR employs a public health-based Integrated Primary Prevention program and Bystander Intervention Training, bolsters sexual assault prevention education, and fields command climate assessment tools and a commander toolkit so leaders can measure effectiveness and direct resources against the greatest risk.
When sexual acts do occur, responding to them in a vital way remains another priority. The service said the plan strengthens the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) and Victim Advocate Program Specialist (VAPS) network, informed by the first enterprise-wide staffing gap analysis, clarifies restricted and unrestricted reporting options with refreshed SAPRR Legal Rights Cards, and enforces response timeliness standards tracked through a Response Timeliness Dashboard.
Long-term recovery for victims is also integral. That means establishing minimum trauma-informed care standards, confirming around-the-clock access to care, formalizing direct handoffs and continuity of care across the Coast Guard, Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, assigning each survivor a named advocate from initial report through case closure, and providing flexible assignment options and career protections.
As it pertains to accountability, the SAPRR plan certifies criminal investigators and establishes investigation and prosecution timeliness tracking. It also strengthens administrative accountability, providing methods to properly document and track covered allegations of retaliation.
“Accountability ensures protection of victims and holds those responsible for committing these crimes accountable under the law while ensuring due process under the law for those accused,” the service said. ”Accountability extends upward as well as outward: leaders are responsible and accountable for the climate they build.”
Critics Remain
While the Coast Guard is bettering its efforts to respond to sexual assault incidents and provide care in their aftermath, previous well-publicized cases within the service have caused some to urge caution.
Arguably the most notable negligence occurred in what is known as Operation Fouled Anchor, which uncovered and analyzed decades of unreported, uninvestigated and unpunished sexual assaults in the service between 1988 and 2006 via a multi-year investigation.
Coast Guard officials’ attempts to conceal vital information from lawmakers and the public to avoid a scandal and to not devalue the reputation of the service ultimately backfired. The press reported countless incidents in 2023, leading to congressional hearings, government watchdog reviews, and whistleblower testimonies.
Military.com recently reported how Kathryn Denise Rucker Krepp, a U.S. Navy civilian whistleblower, requested a federal judge to stop service orders for her return to the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC), citing alleged discrimination, harassment and retaliation by her superior, a senior official.
Krepp sent a letter on Sept. 14 to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, requesting updates on the outcomes of three DHS Inspector General cases after a report substantiated allegations of Coast Guard retaliation against three members who reported sexual assault.
For Krepp, formerly of the Coast Guard, the issue remains just that. She believes it has negatively affected morale within the service over the years.
As for the SAPPR Action Plan, she is instead waiting for concrete results.
“I see a statement of intent, not action,” Krepp told Military.com. “Action happens when admirals are held accountable for covering up the OFA report. Action happens when individuals who commit sexual assault are prosecuted.
“Until that happens, this is simply a document that will collect dust.”
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