Representative John Carter (R-TX-31) has announced the U.S. Army has adopted a new directive to address juvenile-on-juvenile sexual misconduct occurring on installations in response to his legislation, the MINOR Act, and language Carter included in the National Defense Authorization Act.

The Army’s new policy will establish installation multidisciplinary teams to address safety, medical, behavioral health, academic and social needs of juveniles involved in juvenile-on-juvenile sexual incidents. It will also require the Army to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency within 24 hours of report of incident.   

“As a former judge who has seen firsthand the long-lasting impacts on youth involved in sexual crimes, I took on this ongoing fight to close the bureaucratic black hole that develops when juvenile-on-juvenile sexual misconduct occurs on military installations. The Department of Defense Inspector General’s report from last year made it abundantly clear that the lack of definitive policies on military installations left minor victims and their families without an outlet to turn to for help. The Army’s decision to finally employ definitive policy regarding these situations, will help victims get the help they need and deserve in a supportive environment and get law enforcement involved in a timely manner to address criminal acts.”

In the 116th Congress, Rep. Carter introduced the MINOR Act, which required military installations to work with law enforcement to handle juvenile-on-juvenile sexual crimes that occur on military installations. In the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, Representative Carter included language requiring the Department of Defense to develop a standard in dealing with juvenile-on-juvenile crimes that occur on base.