WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sexual assaults reported at the U.S. Military Academy -- also known as West Point -- doubled in the last academic year, according to a report released by the Pentagon on Wednesday.
The document from the U.S. Department of Defense's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office found 50 reports of sexual assault at West Point in the school year that ended last summer, compared with 26 cases during 2015-2016.
Across all service academies, 112 reports of sexual assault were made during 2016-2017, compared to 86 in the previous year.
It was the fourth year in a row that sexual assault reports had increased at the most prestigious military academy in the United States. But the Pentagon and West Point regarded the growing number as good news, saying, "it means more victims came forward."
The report also said the dramatic and consistent increases may mean more assaults are happening. "Reducing the occurrence of sexual harassment and USC (unwanted sexual contact) at the academies requires new approaches in primary prevention," it said.
In 2016, the Pentagon conducted a survey across American military schools and 48 percent of female cadets and midshipmen said they had been sexually harassed in some form in the previous year. Twelve percent of male cadets and midshipmen also said they had similar experiences.