I absolutely agree that you have to have a plan in place before things like this happen. This was something I made sure to go over and rehearse frequently when I was in command. Unfortunately, I had to put these procedures into action during my command. Planning did not prepare me for everything, but it gave me the foundation necessary to handle things appropriate and seek out the unique information in a timely manner. Without preparing, things could have gone bad. Sexual assault is one of those things you can’t afford to screw up (along with others).

You also hit on a very important point about fair treatment for the accused. Our justice system is built on the principle of innocent until proven guilty. They are also a human being and deserve to be treated as such, regardless of what they are accused. Plus, mistreatment of an accused can lead to reduced punishments in the legal phase of the process.

Great post Brock!