The number of reported sexual assaults across the military shot up by more than 50 percent this year.
Defense officials suggested that victims are becoming more willing to come forward after a tumultuous year of scandals that shined a spotlight on the crimes and put pressure on the military to take aggressive action.
A string of high-profile assaults and arrests triggered outrage in Congress and set off months of debate over how to change the military justice system, while military leaders launched a series of new programs intended to beef up accountability and encourage victims to come forward.
According to early data obtained by The Associated Press, there were more than 5,000 reports of sexual assault filed during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, compared to the 3,374 in 2012.
The increases in reports across the services range from about 45 percent for the Air Force to 86 percent for the Marines. The Navy had an increase of 46 percent and the Army, by far the largest military service, had a 50 percent jump.
“Given the multiple data points, we assess that this is more reporting,” said Col. Alan R. Metzler, deputy director of the Pentagon’s sexual assault prevention and response office.