The Tenth Public Meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces was held on Friday, October 19, 2018 in Arlington, VA.
Arlington, VA - The tenth public meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces ("DAC-IPAD" or "the Committee") was held Friday, October 19, 2018, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at One Liberty Center, 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 1432, Arlington, Virginia 22203.
The DAC-IPAD was established by the Secretary of Defense in February 2016, in accordance with section 546 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, as amended. The Committee is tasked to advise the Secretary of Defense on the investigation, prosecution, and defense of allegations of rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct involving members of the Armed Forces based on its review of such cases on an ongoing basis.
At this meeting, the Committee received testimony from a Marine Corps defense highly qualified expert (HQE) on the effect of sexual assault investigations on accused Service members. The Committee next received testimony from three civilian sexual assault investigators regarding their perspectives on making probable cause determinations and opening and closing sexual assault investigations.
In the afternoon, the Committee received a presentation from the chair of the DAC-IPAD Case Review Working Group on the working group's initial findings and recommendations stemming from its review of fiscal year 2017 sexual assault investigative case files. The Committee then received a briefing from DAC-IPAD staff regarding three recommendations made by its predecessor sexual assault advisory committee, the Judicial Proceedings Panel (JPP), which the Department of Defense General Counsel has requested the DAC-IPAD examine. These recommendations are related to Articles 32 (preliminary hearings; 33 (disposition guidance); and 34 (staff judge advocate advice). Next, the Committee conducted final deliberations for its assessment of the military's expedited transfer policy. For its final sessions, the Committee received a briefing from its Data Working Group staff on the status of its sexual assault case adjudication data collection project for fiscal years 2012 through 2017, and a briefing on section 547 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which requires the Secretary of Defense, through the DAC- IPAD, to conduct a study every two years reporting on the number of instances in which a sexual assault victim was accused or received disciplinary action for collateral misconduct related to allegations of sexual assault committed against the victim.
The DAC-IPAD welcomes input from the public on these topics or other issues under its consideration. Requests to make public comment, submission of written comments or materials, and any other inquiries may be directed to Ms. Julie Carson at
This meeting was open to the public. Seating for the meeting was limited and available on a first-come basis. Visitors were required to provide government-issued photo identification and pass through metal detector security screening for access to the facility.
More information about the Committee, including the meeting agenda and materials, is available on its website at http://dacipad.whs.mil. In the event the Office of Personnel Management closes the government due to inclement weather or for any other reason, please consult the website for any changes to public meeting dates or time.