GAO Report Highlights Sexual Assaults at VA, Michaud to Hold Hearing on Monday

Press Release

Today, Congressman Mike Michaud, Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, reacted to a report that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued today, which found that between 2007 and 2010 nearly 300 sexual assault incidents were reported to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) police at four Veteran Integrated Service Networks. The report also found that the majority of these incidents were not reported to VA leadership or the VA Inspector General, as required by federal law. The full report can be found here.

According to the report, GAO recommends that VA improve both the reporting and monitoring of sexual assault incidents and the tools used to identify risks and address vulnerabilities at VA facilities. VA has since concurred with GAO's recommendations and provided an action plan to address them.

"This investigation details appalling incidents and a severe reporting break down in the entire system," said Michaud. "Our subcommittee will hold a hearing on this report and its findings in order to get to the bottom of all this. The VA must be held accountable. They need to fully implement GAO's recommendations and take immediate steps to ensure that this never happens again."

The GAO report was originally requested by Michaud in March of 2008 in order to examine the health care services available from VA for women veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as they transition from active duty to civilian life. As GAO investigators uncovered additional concerns, the committee requested that the agency expand their investigation, which led to this most recent report.

Michaud and the Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee have scheduled a hearing for Monday, June 13th to examine this report. The hearing aims to provide the Health Subcommittee with the information needed to assist in ensuring that VA management is working together with law enforcement to avoid sexual assault incidents inflicted on veterans, both men and women alike.

The hearing follows up on a 2009 GAO review of the health care services VA offers to women veterans, as requested by Michaud. During that review, several VA clinicians expressed concern to GAO investigators that veterans who had been convicted of a sex offense were utilizing a residential facility alongside women veterans. Concerned for the safety of women at this facility, clinicians were reluctant to refer women, especially those who had experienced a sexual trauma, to the facility. As a follow-up to this finding, the committee requested that GAO investigate the extent to which this is an issue in VA residential facilities, resulting in the report by GAO that was released today.

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