`Sexually Harassed Marine Suffering From Amnesia`

A Marine who was allegedly sexually harassed by a superior has been diagnosed with amnesia, the victim`s attorney said Thursday.

The soldier, 22, was treated at a private hospital and discharged from the Marines due to illness after a Marine colonel, 47, was known to have sexually harassed him.

The plaintiff’s attorney said at the second trial at a Marines court, “The victim was diagnosed with intermittent dissociative amnesia.” Dissociative amnesia is caused by psychological factors such as shock rather than abnormality in the brain.

The victim was unable to describe his ordeal at the trial, simply responding to questions from prosecutors and the defendant`s attorney by saying, “I cannot recall.”

The plaintiff, however, confirmed that he signed the affidavit he wrote and said, “If it’s written in the affidavit, it’s right.”

He is known to suffer intermittent bouts of amnesia. “Amnesia appears intermittently (in the victim). He didn’t remember his social security number, the name of his university, and how he goes home, but he recalled them later,” the military human rights center said. “This is proof that he is seriously suffering from the effects of sexual harassment.”

Attorneys for both sides debated whether to ask the victim questions privately and subpoena his ex-girlfriend as a witness. In the end, the questions were made public and judges said they will decide later whether to have his ex-girlfriend testify.

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