Today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. It’s a startling truth about the extent of the one of America’s most shameful and best-kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 19,300 service members sexually assaulted in 2010 alone.
On November 14, NOVA will host a free screening of The Invisible War at Bucks County Community College, Newtown campus. The documentary of the ground-breaking investigation into the problem focuses on the powerfully emotional stories of rape victims, chronicling the women’s struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. A moving indictment of the systemic cover-up of military sex crimes, the film also features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the “perfect storm” of conditions that exist for rape in the military, its long-hidden history – and what can be done to bring about much-needed change.
The free screening begins at 6:30pm, November 14, at Bucks County Community College’s Gateway Auditorium. Doors open at 6:00pm. For more information, please contact BHoblin@NOVABucks.org or 215.343.6543 or visit NOVA’s website, www.NOVABucks.org.
