CIA botched its handling of sexual assault allegations, House intel report says
A House Intelligence Committee report found the CIA mishandled allegations of sexual assault and harassment and failed to hold perpetrators to account.
The House Intelligence Committee found the CIA botched its response to reports of sexual assault and harassment inside the agency, with victims forced to navigate a process marked by “confusion and disorder,” according to an investigation by lawmakers.
Employees who reported sexual assault and harassment saw “little to no accountability or punishment for the perpetrators,” the committee’s report said.
The process for reporting sexual assault and assessment at the CIA was marked by “confusion and disorder,” victims were reluctant to come forward as they could not remain anonymous, staff members lacked training to identify cases, and the agency had an “inconsistent approach” with law enforcement agencies, said the committee’s bipartisan report, which was released Monday.
“Over the course of the investigation, the Committee discovered that CIA failed to handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment within its workforce in the professional and uniform manner that such sensitive allegations warrant,” it said.
The CIA did not dispute the committee’s findings, which were first reported by Politico. A spokesperson said it has taken a number of steps to improve how it responds to sexual assault complaints and praised a new law that allowed the agency to expand the office handling sexual misconduct cases.
Rating: 5