Naval Academy Superintendent Discusses Sexual Assault Case

The U.S. Naval Academy superintendent says he decided to court-martial two students in a sexual assault case because he wanted to make sure the charges were examined in great detail.

Vice Adm. Michael Miller said Monday he believes a court-martial was the only way to determine whether an offense was committed by either student.

In October, Miller decided to court-martial Midshipman Eric Graham on a charge of abusive sexual contact and Midshipman Joshua Tate on a charge of aggravated sexual assault.

A military judge had recommended the cases not move forward. While the investigating officer found reasonable grounds to believe offenses may have been committed, he found that heavy damage done to the alleged victim's testimony made it difficult "if not impossible" to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.