The investigative arm of the Pentagon announced Tuesday that it is launching a research project into allegations of child sexual abuse in Afghanistan, including what U.S. troops did in response to any incidents.
The Defense Department Inspector General’s office will look at what laws, directives or international treaties exist to govern U.S. policy for handling allegations of child sexual abuse among members of the Afghan military, according to an agency memo. The report will specifically look at any obligation U.S. service members are under to report suspected child abuse by Afghan troops and officials.
The IG’s research on the topic follows a report in The New York Times last month that U.S. troops were told to look the other way when Afghan forces sexually abused young boys because it’s a part of the Afghan culture. One soldier was reportedly relieved of command after beating up an Afghan service member for keeping a young boy chained to his bed as a sex slave.
The IG will look at whether there is any formal or informal policy in place to discourage U.S. troops from reporting suspected abuses, the memo said.
Officials will also examine what training U.S. forces received to handle alleged incidents and how many reports have been made by U.S. military personnel since 2011.
The findings of the research will be used to determine whether the IG will pursue an investigation or assessment, a spokeswoman said.
