National Guard Sergeant Who Was Allegedly Gang Raped By Soldiers Died by Suicide, Family Says

The family of a National Guard soldier who died by suicide was gang-raped by a group of soldiers and sexually assaulted by her supervisor shortly before her death, her family claimed.

Morgan Robinson, who allegedly endured a series of sexual assaults at the hands of military officials and fellow soldiers during her tenure in the Army, died by suicide in 2018. Her family has since accused the military of doing “nothing” to discipline her suspected rapists.

“To think that that’s what took her life — that’s what broke her,” Debbie Robinson, the mother of Morgan Robinson, told CBS News. “They wanted her body. And they took her soul.”

Debbie insists that her daughter’s alleged rape and the accusations that followed were blown off by the military. 

Morgan, a veteran within the Army National Guard, was enlisted for six years when she was first deployed to Kuwait in 2016.

"When she was in Kuwait, she was sexually assaulted and continually harassed by one of her superiors," her mother told CBS News.

Morgan reported the alleged sexual misconduct but no disciplinary action materialized, her mother said.

“She got nothing,” her mother told CBS News.

Two years later, she was deployed to Afghanistan, where several soldiers gang-raped her, Debbie claimed. Hopeless and traumatized, she said her daughter didn’t report the incident.

"She was very scared," her mother said. "Because they threatened her, number one. And number two, she knew that it wouldn't go anywhere. Nothing happened in Kuwait with the sexual assault and the harassment, so why would they do something, you know, in Afghanistan?"

Four months later Robinson died by suicide. She was 29.

Debbie squarely blames the military’s alleged negligence for her daughter’s death. 

The army has since launched a probe of the National Guard soldier’s death. 

"Sergeant Robinson suffered sexual, physical, and psychological trauma while deployed,” according to a redacted report into the investigation. “The sequela of this trauma was a factor in her death."

Months before her death, former secretary of Defense James Mattis maintained the military had a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault.

"While battlefield casualties are a reality of war, we will accept no casualties due to sexual assault in our military family," Mattis said.

Eight months after her death, the officer who allegedly sexually assaulted her was issued a written reprimand, CBS News reported. In a statement, the Army said it addressed the allegations, carried out a full investigation, and took “appropriate” action against the accused officer. 

The Army said in a statement that officers conducted a full investigation into the sexual assault report and took “appropriate” action against the supervisor in question.

“The department remains committed to our goals of ending sexual assault in the military, providing the highest quality response to service members and holding offenders appropriately accountable,” Elizabeth Van Winkle, a policy adviser for the Department of Defense, said.

Morgan was born and raised in Oklahoma, according to an online obituary. She was an avid fisher and hunter, adored trucks, cold beer, and the Kansas City Chiefs. She was also engaged to be married at the time of her death.

She enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2010, the obituary stated. Having earned a number of medals and ribbons, she had a “decorated” military career and was passionate about her job, according to her family. 

“[It was] a job that she loved,” Debbie said. “It was for her country.”

Remembered for her “infectious laugh” and a “bright smile,” Morgan was also described as an “amazing” person by friends. 

“She always knew how to make everyone in the room laugh,” Caitlin Derr, a college friend, wrote on the wall for Morgan's online obituary. “This breaks my heart truly.