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Portions of the ‘I Am Vanessa Guillén’ Act signed into law
Yesterday, parts of the “I Am Vanessa Guillén” Act were signed into law by President Biden. Several portions of the act were included in the $770 billion National Defense Authorization Act that will go into effect January 1st, 2022.
Yesterday, parts of the “I Am Vanessa Guillén” Act were signed into law by President Biden.
This includes changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and changes to how service members are tried for crimes.
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Additionally, it will remove the military’s solitary authority in handling sexual assaults and harassment claims. Going forward, individual chains of command will no longer have the authority to prosecute these cases alone. Thus, allowing victims more rights, more privacy, and less fear of reprisal.
Furthermore, sexual harassment will now been treated as a standalone offense punishable under Article 134 of the UCMJ.
Family of Spc. Guillén still waiting for justice
Vanessa Guillén was a 20 year old female soldier who was brutally bludgeoned to death on Fort Hood, Texas. Her body was then mutilated and discarded in a shallow grave in a disturbing and cruel attempt to cover up her murder.
An Army investigation found Specialist Guillén was sexually harassed before her murder. As a result of the investigation, over a dozen senior leaders at Fort Hood were fired or suspended.
Two suspects, one trial
20 year old soldier Aaron David Robinson, and his civilian counterpart, Cecily Aguilar, were suspected to be responsible for the murder and disposal of Specialist Guillén. When authorities attempted to detain Robinson, he fatally shot himself.
Aguilar made herself known on the social media platform Instagram, where she posted eerie pictures and captions starting just two days after the murder of Guillén. Aguilar continued to post, stopping two months prior to the suicide of Robinson. The comments on her account have since been turned off. Many feel the disturbing lack of empathy shown in her internet presence will be taken into consideration during her trial.
Task & Purpose reported that “Aguilar allegedly told investigators that on April 22, Robinson told her he’d ‘struck a female soldier in the head with a hammer multiple times’ in an arms room at Fort Hood.”
Aguilar is charged with 11 counts of various crimes. Including: accessory to murder, conspiring to dispose of Guillén’s body, tampering with documents or proceedings and conspiracy to tamper with documents or proceedings.
