Minnesota lawmakers consider changes in sexual assault cases involving Minnesota National Guard

Right now, sexual assault cases involving members of the Minnesota National Guard are handled by local law enforcement agencies because the Guard, unlike regular military, does not have investigative units that take on criminal cases between Guard members.

Sheyla Scholl, a former Minnesota National Guard member, told a Minnesota House committee her sexual assault complaint against a fellow Guard member took over two years to complete and the mental anguish it caused could have been avoided if local law enforcement investigated the case quicker.

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"What you don’t see is the toll this is taking on me, my family, friends and children when it lasts so long," said Scholl. "I had my first child when the case was still being investigated and it put stress on my pregnancy and I had post-partum stress and I almost died."

John Thompson, with the Minnesota National Guard, told the House committee the Guard supports having the BCA investigate sexual assault cases between Guard members because the Guard does not have the resources to handle them.

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"Our Adjutant General has said, you know, slow justice is often perceived as no justice and this is another one of those instances," said Thompson.