A parliamentary subcommittee has passed a bill that stipulates civil courts, not the military court, to adjudicate sexual allegations involving soldiers. 

The National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee convened its first subcommittee on Tuesday and passed a revision to the military court act. 

The move came amid growing suspicion over the military’s ability to prevent sexual crimes following a series of such allegations involving officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force. 

Female officers sexually harassed by male seniors or colleagues in those cases committed suicide or attempted to do so allegedly due to the military leadership’s failure to properly address the wrongdoings and protect the victims. 

Meanwhile, the revision also allows civil courts to hear cases involving soldiers when the cases are not related with the military or precede their conscription.