19,000 sexual assault cases in military each year

Here is a link to the shit-this-is-so-fucked-up news item of the day.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today that he thinks there could be around 19,000 sexual assault cases in the military every year. I do not know anything about Panetta, but I appreciate that he realizes the magnitude of the problem and seems authentic in his conviction to enforce new initiatives designed to help members of the military who are victims of sexual violence.