A new report issued by the Inspector General of the State Department found that sexual harassment complaints jumped 63% from 2014 to 2017, and sexual assault complaints rose 71% over the same time.
The OIG’s report noted that the number of cases reported is likely an undercount because of the reluctance of victims to report such incidents for fear of retribution.
The report also documented that the average time to resolve a case was 21 months, with one case taking more than four years to close. None of the cases resulted in criminal charges; instead, the department lists “improper personal conduct” in the accused personnel file. The report did not include information on the number of people dismissed for such conduct.