Women share accounts of sexual assault in US military with hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen after soldier’s disappearance

Women in the US military are sharing their accounts of sexual harassment and assault online with the hashtag “I am Vanessa Guillen”, a reference to a missing soldier who claimed to have been assaulted.

Private First-Class Guillen, 20, went missing two months ago, shortly after she told her family she was being sexually harassed by a superior in her regiment.

Unidentified remains and items believed to belong to Private Guillen were discovered on Monday near Fort Hood, the Texas army base where she was last seen on April 22.

Her case has prompted a public outcry from other women serving in the military and focused a spotlight on how the Army handles accusations of sexual harassment and assault.

Hundreds of female service members have taken to social media to share their own experiences of sexual misconduct with the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen, an echo of the #MeToo disclosures that caused a global push to end sexual assault and harassment in the workplace.

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