Reports Of Sexual Assaults At Wright-Patt Increased Last Year

The number of sexual assaults reported at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton rose in 2016, but officials say that does necessarily mean more assaults occurred. The U.S. Department of Defense says 30 assaults were reported to base officials last year, compared with 17 the previous year. DOD officials say the statistic indicates how many reports were received, and may include assaults that happened off-base or before the victim joined the military. Base spokesperson Marie Vanover says that makes it impossible to identify significant trends in the increase. Don Christensen, a retired U.S. Air Force chief prosecutor and head of the group Protect Our Defenders, says the "vast majority" of assaults occur at or near the installation where they are first reported.