Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old soldier from Texas, disappeared in April 2020 for an unexplained reason. For a few months, no one knew where she was.
After the guy who killed Guillen took his own life, her bones were found in July 2020. Further investigation indicated that she suffered from serious mental health issues as a result of sexual harassment while working at the US Army base at Fort Hood, Texas.
On Friday August 12, 2022, more than two years after Vanessa Guillen’s death, her family filed a lawsuit against the United States of America, seeking $35 million in damages. The lawsuit was prompted by the ruling in San Francisco on Thursday, August 11 by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that an Army colonel could pursue a lawsuit against a former U.S. general. Air Force for a complaint of sexual assault.
The Guillen family is suing the military for the sexual assault, harassment, abuse, rape, sodomy, and wrongful death of their daughter.
Vanessa Guillen’s family files lawsuit for damages two years after her death
Vanessa Guillen’s case is a huge step forward for victims of military sexual assault
Women who are assaulted and harassed are repressed every day in a field that has long been dominated by men. Victims who are forced to remain silent or risk the wrath of these institutions are tormented by fear of reprisal.
Guillen was also forced to remain silent for fear of repercussions. At least two cases of sexual harassment suffered by the young soldier in his base camp are mentioned in the lawsuit brought by the Guillen family.
Guillen’s mental health was severely damaged by these incidents, to the point that she often contemplated suicide. Her brutal murder brought to light the dangerous working conditions experienced by female troupes. Several military and former soldiers have used the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen to share their personal stories of harassment at base camps.
The military justice reform bill, which will strip military commanders of authority and give independent prosecutors authority over sexual assault charges and other major crimes, was prompted by the horrific death of the Fort Hood soldier.
