US Army Women's Suicide and Homicide Rate Rose by More Than a Third After Vanessa Guillén Reforms

Army women’s suicide and homicide rates rose by over a third after reforms following Vanessa Guillén’s killing, Pentagon records show. (Credit: Arlington National Cemetery/WikiMedia Commons)

The combined rate of US Army women dying by suicide or homicide climbed by more than a third in the years after reforms were introduced following Vanessa Guillén's killing. That is according to a 14-year review of Pentagon death records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The analysis found the per capita rate rose from 15 per 100,000 between 2011 and 2020 to 21 per 100,000 between 2021 and 2024. That second period covers the years directly after the Army overhauled its sexual harassment and assault response systems.