By Malya Robenson
For the past few months, COVID-19 and the calls for police reform in the United States have overshadowed almost everything else in the media. The looming pandemic has infected millions globally, and tensions over the mistreatment of people of color by the police in America have run higher than they’ve been in years. One issue that has been struggling to gain media attention is the disappearance and death of Private Vanessa Guillen in late April.
Twenty-year-old Vanessa Guillen was a United States Army soldier from Houston, Texas. She is believed to have been killed on April 22 at an armory inside of the Fort Hood United States Military Base. Her body was found on June 30th, just over two months after the incident.
Guillen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by fellow Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, who was considered to be a suspect, but he committed suicide before he could be taken into police custody. His girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, admitted that she assisted him in dismembering Guillen’s body using a machete and attempted to burn and dispose of Guillen’s corpse in the woods 20 miles from the base. If convicted, she would face up to 20 years in federal prison and receive a $250,000 fine.
Many believe, however, that Guillen’s murder could’ve been prevented. Those who were close to Guillen claim that she had been facing sexual harassment by one of her colleagues during the time leading up to her death. This has led many to call into question the efficacy of the military’s ability to keep its soldiers safe.
Although army officials have claimed that there was no evidence of Guillen being harassed, Guillen’s family and friends tell a different story. They state that she told them numerous times that she had felt unsafe at work and that she was being sexually harassed. The disparity in their stories probably stems from the fact that Guillen didn’t report the harassment, likely because she felt as if she couldn’t, either because she believed she wouldn’t be listened to or because she feared retaliation.
The United States military has historically had an incredibly poor track record when it comes to addressing sexual harassment. In far too many cases, they cover up any transgressions on their part, choosing to punish women for speaking out rather than confronting the issues. Women often feel as if they shouldn’t speak out against their harassers because they fear being discredited or ridiculed. As a result, victims believe that staying quiet is the only right option.
One of such women is Arizona Republican Senator, Martha McSally, who served in the Air Force for over two decades. She was raped by a superior officer but stayed quiet about the incident for years because she was scared that the system wouldn’t protect her, especially because of the rank of her assailant. Instead, she chose to live with the intense fear and shame for years.
Reports from the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office have found that in 2018, 6.3% of active-duty men and 24.2% of active-duty women had been sexually harassed. One-fifth of women who had been sexually harassed were also sexually assaulted.
The office also found that 76.1% of victims of sexual assault did not report it, likely because 64% of those who do report the incidents face some form of retaliation such as demotion in work assignments, being denied promotions or deployment, lower performance evaluations, and even complete discharge. Of those who do face retaliation, 66% receive said retaliation from their chain of command, and about a third are discharged.
With statistics so staggering, it is no wonder that women are so terrified of speaking up.
Guillen’s family and others who have heard of their situation are seeking justice for Vanessa as well as reform in the way that the military addresses and handles sexual assault cases. They hope that what happened to Vanessa won’t happen to any other soldier.
From the day that Guillen disappeared, it was clear to her family that the military was mishandling the case and that proper protocols were not being followed. They believe that her disappearance was not being taken seriously and that it took them far too long to get answers.
The general consensus of the public is that women, especially women of color, are being mistreated and discriminated against by the military. The League of United Latin American Citizens is discouraging Latina women from joining the military since it does a poor job of protecting those enlisted.
The hashtag IamVanessaGuillen has been gaining steam recently as men and women who were in the military share their stories of harassment and assault.
Vanessa Guillen was a bright young individual with great potential. Her parents have said that since she was a child, Vanessa wanted to be in the army so she could protect her country. Her sister leads the fray as thousands across the nation have gone to the streets in protest to demand radical change.
Vanessa was an ambitious soldier who had her future stolen from her. Her story deserves to be told in every capacity. Coverage of the developments in her case have been light at best, and the media largely chooses to ignore the ongoing protests in her name. She cannot become just another statistic. Her name must not get lost in an endless sea of failures on the part of the supposed strongest military in the world. Say her name.
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