CHICAGO (CBS) — A group of protesters gathered Saturday to keep the issue of sexual harassment and assault in the military at the forefront.
They held a caravan and march outside the Illinois National Guard armory at North and Kedzie avenues Saturday.
Current and former members of the military demanded justice for Vanessa Guillén.
Guillén, a soldier at Fort Hood in Texas, was killed and dismembered – allegedly by a fellow soldier who had harassed her.
The activists are urging Congress to pass a bill preventing predators from serving in the military.
They also want legislation to seal the identities of those who report harassment claims, in order to protect them from retaliation.
Specialist Aaron Robinson and a woman identified as his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, have been identified as suspects in the Guillén case. Aguilar told investigators that Robinson said he killed Guillén by hitting her in the head with a hammer, and that the pair later disposed of her body, according to the criminal complaint filed against Aguilar. Robinson ran away from Fort Hood and died by suicide as police were closing in on him, local authorities said.
Robinson is a Calumet City native. He entered the Army in October 2017 and was a combat engineer.
Family lawyer Natalie Khawam accused Robinson of sexually harassing Guillén. Khawam said last month that the military sexual harassment is an “epidemic” and demands attention from Congress. “You can’t turn a blind eye anymore,” she said.
