DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997              TAG: 9703130401

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A8   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: WASHINGTON                        LENGTH:   35 lines

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT PROCEEDINGS WILL CONTINUE, ARMY PROMISES

Judicial proceedings involving charges of sexual misconduct at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground will go forward, Army Secretary Togo West said Wednesday.

West and Defense Secretary William Cohen indicated the Army will examine allegations by five female soldiers that military investigators tried to coerce them into falsely accusing superiors of rape. They said they resisted, and rape was not among charges filed against the men.

West, appearing before the House National Security Committee, said, ``We want to make sure that we don't disrupt the ongoing proceedings'' at Aberdeen.

Pressed by lawmakers, he said he ``would certainly consider an internal review'' of the women's coercion allegations aired Tuesday. He said he interprets the women's statements as allegations of ``untoward and perhaps illegal'' behavior by the investigators.

Cohen discussed the charges in an interview taped for CNN, promising ``a thorough examination.''

``If the Army has been engaging in this kind of activity, it simply won't be tolerated,'' Cohen said. ``But we don't know what the facts are.''

Since the scandal broke in November, at least 50 female recruits have made official complaints of sexual abuse at Aberdeen, and the Army has acted against 14 servicemen accused of rape, assault and other sex crimes.

The scandal sparked investigations at installations around the world. A sex harassment hot line set up for complaints has logged 7,500 calls in four months. KEYWORDS: U.S. ARMY SEX CRIME RAPE

SEXUAL HARASSMENT INVESTIGATION

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