February 22, 2021, 12:46 pm
A TikTok from a member of the U.S. Marine Corps is drawing renewed attention to just how difficult it is to see any sort of justice for sexual assault in the military.
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Dalina, who goes by @gwotthot on TikTok, had previously shared videos talking about her sexual assault in the military and the PTSD suffered as a result. A series of recent videos show the aftermath of facing the man she accused of being a “sexual predator” in court.
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“I was able to see my perpetrator in a courtroom and he’s able to admit what he did,” she said. “And they say, ‘Okay, well you were really good at your job, and yeah you did a bad thing, but we’re gonna make sure that you get out honorably, and you’ll be able to reenlist and do this s—t to somebody else in another branch, just not this one.’”
“And that s—t breaks my f—king heart,” she added.
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In another video that has since been deleted from her page, Dalina claims that “this motherf—ker will be getting retained,” regardless of the proof and admission of guilt she says took place during the trial.
“This is exactly why f—king females in the military f—king kill themselves,” she says. “This is exactly why nobody f—king takes us seriously.”
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Dalina had previously stated that she was left with the impression that superiors believed this to be a “character-building lesson” for the marine she accused of sexual misconduct — that he could learn from this “one small incident he did and be a better leader for it.”
The outrage over what Dalina says is a failure by the military to protect people who choose to serve came out strong.
“TWENTY YEARS. Nothing has changed,” one commenter seethed. “It’s time to acknowledge that the Corps will protect their Marine AT THE EXPENSE OF THEIR MARINE. We get it. Believe me. We get it.”
I got out in 1983. Nothing has changed in almost 40 years.
— Sandi MacCallum
(@westie_2011) February 19, 2021
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Dalina’s videos have gained enough attention that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has promised to investigate further, saying “we have to get the facts.”
The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, however, appears to be trying to downplay the whole situation, insisting that this was an issue of “misconduct of a sexual nature” as opposed to “sexual assault.” The actual nature of the accusation is unclear at this point, but the frustrations over how the military handles any accusations regarding sexual trauma remain valid nonetheless.
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For her part, Dalina has said there is “misinformation” being circulated about her case and has confirmed that she is leaving the military after eight years of service due to everything that has happened.
*First Published: February 22, 2021, 12:46 pm
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