Ellsworth Air Force Base No. 2 in Sex Assault Convictions

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A new report says Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City had the second most sexual assault convictions out of 72 military installations that were surveyed.

The Rapid City Journal reports that an Air Force study of sexual-assault court-martial convictions shows there were eight at Ellsworth from 2010 through March 2015.

Eunice Bernadette "Bernie" McFarling is the base's sexual-assault response coordinator. She says the numbers show that the military justice system is growing more responsive to victims of sexual assault.

The efforts to prevent and prosecute sexual assaults at Ellsworth are part of a broader national effort to confront sexual assault in the military. Data show that about 18,900 military personnel were victims of unwanted sexual contact during the 2014 fiscal year, which was down 27 percent from 2012.

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