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| Former female marines: Facebook page only the latest instance of sexual abuse | Former female marines: Facebook page only the latest instance of sexual abuse |
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| Amy Johnson loved the physical challenges and camaraderie of boot camp and had dreamed of spending her whole career in the Marine Corps, serving her country and fighting abroad wherever necessary. | Amy Johnson loved the physical challenges and camaraderie of boot camp and had dreamed of spending her whole career in the Marine Corps, serving her country and fighting abroad wherever necessary. |
| But her military life is already over, at 23, after a catalogue of sexual aggression by her Marine Corps peers both in person and online that foreshadowed this week’s revelations that some marines shared naked photographs of female colleagues, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page called “Marines United”. | But her military life is already over, at 23, after a catalogue of sexual aggression by her Marine Corps peers both in person and online that foreshadowed this week’s revelations that some marines shared naked photographs of female colleagues, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page called “Marines United”. |
| Now the former lieutenant corporal is wondering if images of her appeared on that Facebook page, which according to an internal Marine Corps document was patronized by 30,000 current and former male marines. The page was exposed at the weekend for posting photographs of unwitting female marines, some naked, with derogatory and violent sexual language alongside, news which brought swift condemnation from the military and the announcement of a criminal investigation. | Now the former lieutenant corporal is wondering if images of her appeared on that Facebook page, which according to an internal Marine Corps document was patronized by 30,000 current and former male marines. The page was exposed at the weekend for posting photographs of unwitting female marines, some naked, with derogatory and violent sexual language alongside, news which brought swift condemnation from the military and the announcement of a criminal investigation. |
| But this is only the latest instance where female marines have been abused online through covert use of social media. | But this is only the latest instance where female marines have been abused online through covert use of social media. |
| “Marines United is a more recent thing, over the past year or so,” Johnson told the Guardian using a pseudonym. “But before that my picture was put on three other similar private Facebook pages, without my knowledge or consent, calling me a liar about having been raped in the military and calling me a cum dumpster and other awful things,” she said, referring to an alleged rape by a corporal she reported at age 18. | “Marines United is a more recent thing, over the past year or so,” Johnson told the Guardian using a pseudonym. “But before that my picture was put on three other similar private Facebook pages, without my knowledge or consent, calling me a liar about having been raped in the military and calling me a cum dumpster and other awful things,” she said, referring to an alleged rape by a corporal she reported at age 18. |
| At one point, a link to her own Facebook page was posted by her anonymous abusers, and she received death threats. | At one point, a link to her own Facebook page was posted by her anonymous abusers, and she received death threats. |
| Experts pointed out that such online abuse has long been known about by senior figures in the military. | Experts pointed out that such online abuse has long been known about by senior figures in the military. |
| “Abuse of women on social media has been a pervasive issue in the marines for some time, but their leaders have not made any serious effort to address it or discipline offenders,” said Sara Darehshori, a senior counsel at campaign group Human Rights Watch and co-author of a 2015 report by HRW and advocacy group Protect Our Defenders on sexual assault and retaliation in the military. After that report, the Department of Defense insisted it was already trying hard to address problems of sexual assault and harassment across the military. The US Marine Corps (USMC) has the lowest proportion of women across the US military services, at just 7%, compared with 14% in the army, but a high level of sexual assault. | “Abuse of women on social media has been a pervasive issue in the marines for some time, but their leaders have not made any serious effort to address it or discipline offenders,” said Sara Darehshori, a senior counsel at campaign group Human Rights Watch and co-author of a 2015 report by HRW and advocacy group Protect Our Defenders on sexual assault and retaliation in the military. After that report, the Department of Defense insisted it was already trying hard to address problems of sexual assault and harassment across the military. The US Marine Corps (USMC) has the lowest proportion of women across the US military services, at just 7%, compared with 14% in the army, but a high level of sexual assault. |
| The victim who spoke to the Guardian appeared under the pseudonym Amy Johnson in that 2015 report, and asked the Guardian to withhold her true identity out of safety concerns. | The victim who spoke to the Guardian appeared under the pseudonym Amy Johnson in that 2015 report, and asked the Guardian to withhold her true identity out of safety concerns. |
| “Previous Facebook pages kept getting pulled down because of complaints from people like myself – that’s why they then created Marines United and made it more restricted,” said Johnson. | “Previous Facebook pages kept getting pulled down because of complaints from people like myself – that’s why they then created Marines United and made it more restricted,” said Johnson. |
| “I don’t know if I was on Marines United – I’m not on Facebook any more since all the trouble I had in 2014,” she said. | “I don’t know if I was on Marines United – I’m not on Facebook any more since all the trouble I had in 2014,” she said. |
| Marines United was revealed over the weekend by USMC veteran Thomas Brennan. It featured links to Google folders full of explicit pictures and offensive comments. Marine Corps commandant General Robert B Neller said on Sunday: “For anyone to target one of our marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect.” | Marines United was revealed over the weekend by USMC veteran Thomas Brennan. It featured links to Google folders full of explicit pictures and offensive comments. Marine Corps commandant General Robert B Neller said on Sunday: “For anyone to target one of our marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect.” |
| “When I heard about it, I was angry, but I am also ecstatic that it sounds as if something is finally being done about this,” said Johnson. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is now investigating and the photographs have been taken down, according to officials. The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps’ request, the Associated Press reported. | “When I heard about it, I was angry, but I am also ecstatic that it sounds as if something is finally being done about this,” said Johnson. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is now investigating and the photographs have been taken down, according to officials. The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps’ request, the Associated Press reported. |
| Johnson said pictures of her in a bikini had been posted to previous such pages, some given derogatory nicknames often used for female marines, without her knowledge, “though none nude, thankfully”, she added. | Johnson said pictures of her in a bikini had been posted to previous such pages, some given derogatory nicknames often used for female marines, without her knowledge, “though none nude, thankfully”, she added. |
| They were accompanied by anonymous remarks such as: “This cum dumpster’s name is [redacted by the Guardian]. She goes around having sex with Marines and then cries rape because she doesn’t want to be called out for the slut she is.” | They were accompanied by anonymous remarks such as: “This cum dumpster’s name is [redacted by the Guardian]. She goes around having sex with Marines and then cries rape because she doesn’t want to be called out for the slut she is.” |
| Another comment ended: “Find her, tag her, haze her.” | Another comment ended: “Find her, tag her, haze her.” |
| In 2013, not long after joining up as an excited 18-year-old, Johnson was raped by a corporal, she alleged in a report to her command. But an investigation resulted in nothing more than a one-rank demotion for her alleged perpetrator for alcohol offenses – and a punishment for her, too, for underage drinking. | In 2013, not long after joining up as an excited 18-year-old, Johnson was raped by a corporal, she alleged in a report to her command. But an investigation resulted in nothing more than a one-rank demotion for her alleged perpetrator for alcohol offenses – and a punishment for her, too, for underage drinking. |
| She was ostracized for complaining, by both male and female marines, she said, and later the online abuse began. Some marines who tried to stand up for her suffered retaliation themselves, she said. Eventually she was afraid even to go to the chow hall to eat with her cohorts. | She was ostracized for complaining, by both male and female marines, she said, and later the online abuse began. Some marines who tried to stand up for her suffered retaliation themselves, she said. Eventually she was afraid even to go to the chow hall to eat with her cohorts. |
| “It never makes sense to me that the marines are so worried about how you tie your bootlaces or put on your chevrons, and yet they allow so much harassment to continue,” she said. | “It never makes sense to me that the marines are so worried about how you tie your bootlaces or put on your chevrons, and yet they allow so much harassment to continue,” she said. |
| Johnson said she believed male marines close ranks with greater intensity than other military branches, and some female marines did not want to be seen as weak, so sided with the men over someone alleging sexual assault. The majority of the men and women just look the other way, she said. | |
| Johnson had to leave the military last summer because of her trauma and is now studying at college in Georgia. In the future she wants to become a lawyer and defend women – and men – who have been violated. | Johnson had to leave the military last summer because of her trauma and is now studying at college in Georgia. In the future she wants to become a lawyer and defend women – and men – who have been violated. |
| The corps, which separates women and men for training, unlike other branches, has a long way to go to achieve a culture of equality, she said. | The corps, which separates women and men for training, unlike other branches, has a long way to go to achieve a culture of equality, she said. |
| “Many male commanders still think women are the ruination of the Marine Corps and they spread a culture that we’re nothing but ‘barracks mattresses’ for the men to please themselves with, and that our real place is in the kitchen,” she said. | “Many male commanders still think women are the ruination of the Marine Corps and they spread a culture that we’re nothing but ‘barracks mattresses’ for the men to please themselves with, and that our real place is in the kitchen,” she said. |
| Another former marine, Kate Hendricks Thomas, also spoke out about her experiences. Her time on active duty in the Marine Corps, from 2002 to 2008, including serving in Iraq, finished before social media became ubiquitous, but instead she would find offensive cartoons of herself and fellow female marines scrawled everywhere on the walls of portable toilets used in the field. | Another former marine, Kate Hendricks Thomas, also spoke out about her experiences. Her time on active duty in the Marine Corps, from 2002 to 2008, including serving in Iraq, finished before social media became ubiquitous, but instead she would find offensive cartoons of herself and fellow female marines scrawled everywhere on the walls of portable toilets used in the field. |
| “It was ‘Here’s Lieutenant Hendricks getting gang-banged” and lots of references to sexual things they would like to do to the women, lots of it around anal sex and kinky objectification,” she said. | “It was ‘Here’s Lieutenant Hendricks getting gang-banged” and lots of references to sexual things they would like to do to the women, lots of it around anal sex and kinky objectification,” she said. |
| At the time she shrugged and carried a can of black spray paint to cover the offensive scrawls. But she later acknowledged there was a “semi-hostile atmosphere” from a damaging minority of male peers and officers towards the females. | At the time she shrugged and carried a can of black spray paint to cover the offensive scrawls. But she later acknowledged there was a “semi-hostile atmosphere” from a damaging minority of male peers and officers towards the females. |
| “I worked very had to laugh it off; I was a marine, I was an Amazon, nothing could hurt me. But I think differently now,” she said. | “I worked very had to laugh it off; I was a marine, I was an Amazon, nothing could hurt me. But I think differently now,” she said. |
| Hendricks Thomas, now a behavioral health professor at Charleston Southern University, is also a board member of the Service Women’s Action Network, an advocacy group that believes women and men’s training in the marines should be integrated. | Hendricks Thomas, now a behavioral health professor at Charleston Southern University, is also a board member of the Service Women’s Action Network, an advocacy group that believes women and men’s training in the marines should be integrated. |
| “There was constant pressure on the women to be perfect, beyond reproach, and then you might be accepted. I loved the corps. But now I see it was a personal failing that I did not complain formally about the harassment – and now these women are dealing with what amounts to criminal cyber-stalking,” she said. | “There was constant pressure on the women to be perfect, beyond reproach, and then you might be accepted. I loved the corps. But now I see it was a personal failing that I did not complain formally about the harassment – and now these women are dealing with what amounts to criminal cyber-stalking,” she said. |
| “From the marines who have reached out to us since the Marines United story emerged, we believe these problems are pervasive,” said Colonel Don Christensen, former chief prosecutor of the US air force and president of Protect Our Defenders. “The news was no surprise.” |