WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he will support long-debated changes to the military justice system that would remove decisions on prosecuting sexual assault cases from military commanders. In a statement Tuesday, obtained by The Associated Press, Austin says he supports taking those sexual assault and related crimes away from the chain of command, and let independent military lawyers handle them. The Pentagon has long resisted such a change, but Austin and other senior leaders are slowly acknowledging that the military has failed to make progress against sexual assault, and some changes are needed.
