When Private First Class Lavena Johnson died in Iraq in 2005, the army told her father that she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the head. Her father investigated her death for years, unveiling details that lead him to believe his daughter was actually raped and murdered, possibly by people in the army. This week, the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing called "Oversight Hearing on Sexual Assault in the Military" where the truth about Lavena Johnson’s case, and others like her, will hopefully be exposed.
In Lavena Johnson’s father’s personal investigation into her death, he found photos and descriptions of the scene that made him think his daughter was raped and murdered and did not commit suicide as the army claimed. For example, she had been struck in the face with a blunt object, breaking her nose and some teeth. Furthermore, her genitals had been scarred with a corrosive liquid, presumably poured there to eliminate DNA evidence of rape. Her body was covered in bruises and bites and a dirt on her back, matched with a trail of blood from a contractor’s tent to her own was evidence that her bloodied body was dragged across the ground.
The public outcry for an investigation into Lavena Johnson’s death has been overwhelming. Numerous bloggers have picked up on her story and her supporters started a petition seeking justice in her case that they will deliver to Congress. You can sign the petition here. Another petition addressed to Representative Henry Waxman can be found here.
Although this week’s subcommittee hearing is not scheduled to directly address the Lavena Johnson case, it is hopefully the first step the government will take to reevaluate her case and others like it.
Visit www.lavenajohnson.com to find out more about her case.
Source: www.theyoungturks.com
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