TheCable

Martha McSally, US senator and freshman Republican from Arizona, has dsiclosed that she was “preyed upon and raped by a superior officer” while she served in the military.

The senator, who was the first woman to fly in combat for the US air force, brought this revelation to light on Wednesday in a prepared statement during a senate armed services subcommittee hearing on sexual assault in the military.

“Like you, I am also a military sexual assault survivor but unlike so many brave survivors I didn’t report being sexually assaulted,” said McSally to witnesses present during the hearing.

“Like so many women and men I didn’t trust the system at the time. I blame myself. I was ashamed and confused. And I thought I was strong but felt powerless. The perpetrators abused their position of power in profound ways.

“And in one case, I was preyed upon and raped by a superior officer. I stayed silent for many years. But later in my career, as the military grappled with scandals and their wholly inadequate responses, I felt the need to let some people know – I too was a survivor.”

McSally, who served in the air force until 2010 and retired with the rank of colonel, did not mention the name of her attacker, because she “was horrified at how my attempt to share generally my experiences was handled.”

She also said she almost left the air force after 18 years, adding that “like many victims, I felt like the system was raping me all over again.”