Washington ( CNN ) -- Eight current and former U.S. service members filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging they were raped , sexually assaulted or harassed while serving in the military and were retaliated against once they reported the abuse . Among the defendants named in the suit are current and former Defense and Navy secretaries and Marine Corps commandants . `` Although defendants testified before Congress and elsewhere that they have 'zero tolerance ' for rape and sexual assault , their conduct and the facts demonstrate the opposite : They have a high tolerance for sexual predators in their ranks , and 'zero tolerance ' for those who report rape , sexual assault and harassment , '' according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington . The suit outlines a pattern of abuse and portrays , in grim detail , the alleged experiences of the eight female service members -- two former Marine Corps officers , one active duty enlisted Marine , one former enlisted member of the Marine Corps and four former enlisted members of the Navy . `` At first it was easy to laugh it off , '' plaintiff Elle Helmer , one of the former officers , said about her superiors ' advances . `` When you finally said , you know , I 'm really not interested , I 'd rather we be friends -- that 's when you became the target . They hated you for standing up for yourself , '' she told HLN 's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Tuesday night . The lawsuit alleges Helmer was raped by her superior at his office in March 2006 after a required pub crawl . She told reporters at the National Press Club in Washington earlier in the day that she hoped by going public other victims would be encouraged to speak out . `` It 's the first time I 've had a voice in six years , so pardon if it 's a little wobbly , '' said Helmer . She was joined by Ariana Klay , another former Marine Corps officer and plaintiff , who served in Iraq in 2008 and 2009 . Opinion : Victims of military sex assaults deserve justice . In August 2010 , Klay was `` gang-raped '' by a senior officer and his civilian friend at her Washington home , the suit contends . The officer allegedly threatened to kill Klay . She reported the rapes and the officer was eventually convicted in a military court of adultery and indecent language , and given 45 days in military confinement , Klay said . `` Their stance was there were two that said it ( sex ) was consensual , despite the death threat . That 's two against one . So by that logic , the more people you 're gang-raped by the less your case is , '' she told Velez-Mitchell . The Marine Corps responded to Klay and Helmer 's allegations in a written statement Tuesday that said their respective cases had been properly investigated and handled . `` Federal law and judicial rulings require commanders in all services , including the Marine Corps , to balance needs of alleged victims with the constitutional rights of service members accused of crimes , '' it read . According to the most recent Defense Department study , more than 19,000 incidents of unwanted sexual contact are estimated to have occurred in 2010 , though less than 3,000 of those events were reported . In 2010 , less than 21 % of reported cases went to trial . Of the 529 alleged perpetrators who were prosecuted , 53 % were convicted , according to the 2011 Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office , which is part of the Defense Department . `` As leaders of this department we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure the safety , dignity and well being of our people . One sexual assault is one too many , '' Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in response to the lawsuit . As a result of the pending litigation , she was unable to comment directly on the allegations . `` Because sexual assault cases are some of the toughest cases to investigate and prosecute , the department has increased funding for investigators and judge advocates to receive specialized training , '' said Smith . The lawsuit was filed less than two months after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta outlined new measures targeting sexual assaults against U.S military personnel . In January , he promised increased funding to train military investigators and judge advocates about sexual assault cases , stressing the military has a `` zero tolerance policy '' for such crimes . `` Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line every day to try to keep America safe , '' Panetta said then . `` We have a moral duty to keep them safe from those who would attack their dignity and their honor . ''
Among the defendants are current and former Defense and Navy secretaries . `` They hated you for standing up for yourself , '' says plaintiff Elle Helmer . Defense Secretary Panetta outlined new measures to combat such assaults in January .