According to KSTP 5 News, October 30, 2018: A Minnesota soldier died by suicide earlier this year after she was sexually assaulted and harassed on a U.S. Army base in South Korea. Pvt. Nicole Burnham's death in January prompted an Army investigation that revealed a series of failures by her commanding officers.
The report also shows Nicole was kept on the base for nearly three months after requesting to be transferred back to the United States. During that time, the 21-year-old from Andover, Minn. was housed in the same barracks as her attacker and was the victim of repeated harassment and cyber-bullying, according to military records. On social media, she was called a "slut, deserving of rape," records show.
Nicole's ranking officers, who were responsible for her safety, are accused of ignoring the harassment. The investigative report also shows they failed to report Nicole's suicidal ideations to commanders on the base.
A former military prosecutor said in an interview that the investigation shows command staff repeatedly violated policies after Nicole reported being sexually assaulted.
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Constant harassment and a hostile workplace can drive anyone to thoughts of suicide. When unit leadership ignores requests for help, or worse structures investigations to cover their own misconduct, suicide may seem to be the only alternative.
We say that there is always someone there to help, but that is not as true as we might hope...
If you needed help on September 11, 2018 and contacted the 'Lifeline Chat' - Suicide Prevention Line, there were 85 people ahead of you. Meaning that you would have to wait hours for help... all the while thinking about ending your life.
If someone says that they need help, counseling, or guidance because they are having thoughts of hurting themselves, see that they get that help today. Tomorrow may be too late.
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