Sexual abuse issues costing US military

WASHINGTON (AP):

More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illnesses stemming from sexual abuse in the military, and 4,000 sought disability benefits, underscoring the staggering long-term impact of a crisis that has roiled the Pentagon and been condemned by President Barack Obama as "shameful" and "disgraceful".

A Department of Veterans Affairs accounting released in response to inquiries from The Associated Press shows a heavy financial and emotional cost involving vets from Iraq, Afghanistan, and even back to Vietnam, and lasting long after a victim leaves the service.

Sexual assault or repeated sexual harassment can trigger a variety of health problems, primarily post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

It took years for Ruth Moore of Milbridge, Maine, to begin getting treatment from a VA counselling centre in 2003, 16 years after she was raped twice while she was stationed in Europe with the Navy. She continues to get counselling at least monthly for PTSD linked to the attacks and is also considered fully disabled.