On Friday, the relatives of a soldier, who was sexually harassed and killed at an Army base, close to Killen, Texas, have filed a lawsuit. They are looking for $35 million in damages from the U.S. government.
20-year-old Vanessa Guillen’s relatives are looking for damages because of sexual harassment, abuse, assault, rape, sodomy, and wrongful death, documents note.
Guillen was killed by another soldier at U.S. Army base Fort Hood. An investigation by military personnel revealed that she was sexually harassed, and leaders didn’t assist her. Court documents note two times when she was harassed as a soldier which led to suicidal thoughts. Relatives say that Guillen didn’t report other incidents because she was scared of retaliation.
In April 2020, Guillen went missing. Her body was discovered in July of that year. This came after the soldier that killed her committed suicide after a confrontation with officers. A civilian had been charged with helping Robinson get rid of the body.
Since her death, state and federal lawmakers have passed a law in Guillen’s honor. It takes away some authority from commanders and provides survivors with options to report.
