WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the number of sexual assault cases reported at the military service academies dropped in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 school year. The number of cases reported fell to 129 from 149 in the previous academic year. A Pentagon report released Thursday said the reason for the decline is unclear, but it noted that in-person classes were suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Separately, an in-person survey of academy students that is normally conducted to give the Pentagon a better understanding of the problem was canceled, also because of the pandemic.
