Georgetown Law Firm Represents Victims in Military Rape and Sexual Assault Litigation

A group of U.S. military veterans filed a class action lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, alleging that they were raped or sexually assaulted during their international and domestic military service. The veterans are represented by Georgetown law firm, Burke PLLC, and named Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, in the suit.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of more than a dozen female and two male current or former service members, according to the AP. The group is suing to have a third party review military standards for addressing and punishing assailants in instances rape and other sexual abuse. According to the AP the victims claim that  individual commanders have too much control over the way allegations are handled; victims are often ordered to continue to serve among alleged attackers.

According to the AP, the attackers alleged in the lawsuit include an Army criminal investigator and an Army National Guard commander. The abuse alleged ranges from obscene verbal abuse to gang rape.

A message on the law firm's website encourages other victims or parties to contact the firm:

"We are preparing a class action suit on behalf of military and former military victims of sexual trauma, including persons who were raped by their military colleagues. If you are interested in potentially participating in this lawsuit, please contact Susan Sajadi at ssajadi@burkepllc.com."

Burke is also handling  a whistleblower lawsuit brought on behalf of the United States against Blackwater and has litigated on behalf of the victims of the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal.