Retired Maj. Gen. James Grazioplene is being tried in Virginia on multiple counts of rape and incest for years-old accusations by his estranged daughter.
Jennifer Elmore, the former general’s daughter, reported to the Army in 2015 that her father sexually abused her when she was a child, according to the Washington Post.
The 47-year-old said she wanted to come forward as an example to others that faced abuse.
“Sometimes, it’s just easier to shut your mouth,” Elmore said. “But if I stay silent and the next person opts for that, and the next person opts for that, and the next person opts for that, where are we?”
Elmore told the Post that at least five other people have corroborated part of her account, including Grazioplene’s sister, who said he had admitted to assaulting his daughter years ago.
Last year, the Army held a hearing in which Elmore testified in Fort Meade, Md. A military judge said it was too late to bring the case under the statue of limitations, and dismissed the case.
But the case is seeing a new life in Virginia, where a grand jury on Dec. 3 indicted Grazioplene on multiple counts of rape and incest. There is no statute of limitations on rape charges in Virginia.
Grazioplene was arrested Dec. 7. The retired general maintains his innocence, and has declined to comment on the case any further.
“I will not comment,” Grazioplene said during a Sept. 6 call. “The charges are false and incorrect. Nope.”
