Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is looking into allegations made in a video by a member of the Marine Corps who said that another soldier accused of sexual misconduct against her was retained despite pleading guilty.
The TikTok video, which was posted by an unidentified Marine sergeant on Thursday with the username 'gwotthot,' showed a woman in a car clearly distressed and tearful over what she just learned.
'This morning I posted a f***ing TikTok about how f***ing unfair it is that I've dedicated my life to the military and the Marine Corps and everything that I've done and that I was able to see my f***ing perpetrator in court and how much it f***ing sucked that he was being forced out of the military,' the woman says.
'That he would be getting an honorable discharge.
TikTok user 'gwotthot' posted an emotional video on the social media app about her sexual misconduct case not resulting in any significant discipline for her perpetrator
She linked the case with female military suicides and sexual assault cases going unprosecuted
'Well not even f***ing 10 minutes ago I just got word that this motherf***er will be getting retained because it went all the way up across the board, everybody said they would not retain him.
'And the f***ing head honcho, the f***ing CG with all of the proof and a f***ing admission to guilt decided that they will retain him and this is exactly why f***ing females in the military f***ing kill themselves, this is exactly why nobody f***ing takes us seriously.
'What the f***?'
The video is no longer active on TikTok, but it has been widely circulated since Thursday
She posted at least one other TikTok detailing her case, though it appears the emotional video of her in the car is no longer up.
The video was later shared on Twitter by Not In My Marine Corps, an advocacy group for sexual assault and harassment victims in the military.
'This is what happens when you report your assault in the @USMC He admits his guilt and then is retained by the Commanding General after everyone else recommended do not retain. @RepSpeier @SenGillibrand @KamalaHarris @SecDef this is bulls**t. #metoomilitary #sexualassault,' the tweet read.
Spokespeople from the Marines told Insider on Friday that they were investigating the claims.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called the video 'deeply disturbing' on Friday
Sec. Austin said the video was 'deeply disturbing' in a briefing on Friday.
'We have to get the facts,' Austin said. 'We have to understand what just happened.
'I care about each and every one of our troops.'
'I'm going to ask that her chain of command makes sure that someone is looking out after her needs and is making sure that we're taking care of her.'
Capt. Angelica A. Sposato, a member of the Corps’ 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, told the New York Times the video 'specifically refers to an allegation of misconduct regarding the wrongful appropriation and distribution of personal information.'
Sec. Austin has requested a review of the way sexual assault cases are handled, as 7,825 sexual assault cases featuring military members as victims occurred in 2019
Capt. Sposato added the 'current administrative separation process for the accused perpetrator mentioned in the video is ongoing.'
The Defense Department reported 7,825 cases of sexual assault in 2019 that involved service members being victims, a three percent increase from the previous year.
Sec. Austin previously ordered a review of the way his department handles sexual assault cases, although changes will be subject to congressional approval.
USA Today reports reports the suicide rate of active soldiers per 100,000 troops in 2019 was 25.9 percent, an increase from the previous year.
There were 498 suicides in 2019.
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