United States Air Force Special Victims' Counsel Program

The U.S. Air Force (AF) Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC) Program was implemented in January 2013. The objectives of the SVC Program are to provide advice to victims to develop their understanding of the investigative and military justice processes; provide advocacy to protect the rights afforded to victims in the military justice system; and empower victims by removing barriers to their full participation in the military justice process. 

The SVC Program is the first of its kind to provide Airmen and their family members who are victims of sexual assault with their own attorney, free of charge. The role of the SVC is to represent sexual assault victims through the full spectrum of civil and criminal legal issues they face. One of the significant achievements of the SVC Program is the first military appellate court ruling in support of victims’ rights. 

On July 18, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled in favor of the victim in L.R.M. v. Kastenberg, overturning the military judge’s ruling that the SVC was not permitted to argue/speak on his client’s behalf in hearings under Military Rules of Evidence. The ruling will ensure that the interests of sexual assault victims are represented by SVCs in pre-trial evidentiary hearings in which they have a privacy interest. 

The SVC Program was initially implemented as a pilot program for the U.S. Department of Defense so that the other services could evaluate the efficacy of providing victims with their own counsel. On August 14, 2013, the Secretary of Defense directed all U.S. Armed Forces to establish “special victim’s advocacy program(s)” similar to the AF SVC Program. In addition, the SVC Program provided a training course for the Judge Advocate Generals in the other services who will represent victims in their respective programs. The SVC Program represented more than 450 victims and promoted respect, dignity, and meaningful participation in the justice system.