US media: US military medical sexual assault scandal exposed, at least 23 victims

2023-08-28

On the 26th, the Washington Post published an exclusive report stating that a US Army doctor is being investigated for a sexual assault case. The investigation has been ongoing for over a year and reportedly involves at least 23 victims. According to a senior official from the US Department of Defense and two other sources familiar with the matter, the military doctor may be formally charged in the coming days. The report states that the military doctor is Major Michael Stoking, 37 years old. According to information from the US Army, Stokin served in the Army for 10 years and worked at military medical centers near Iraq, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. After July 2019, he worked as an anesthesiologist at a military base south of Seattle, but it is unclear whether the related sexual assault occurred here. Stoking's lawyer told the Washington Post that he has not received any notification that Stoking will be charged. In response to the investigation into Stoking's sexual assault, the US Army stated in a statement that it had "suspended Stoking's patient visits" in February last year. The Army spokesperson stated that "due to relevant policies (requirements), the military will not comment on the ongoing investigation", but stated that "all allegations of sexual assault will be taken seriously, including conducting thorough investigations, supporting victims, and holding offenders accountable if necessary". According to reports, among the 23 victims suspected of being sexually assaulted by Stokin, including some of the patients he visited. A soldier who reported Stokin's sexual assault to the army stated that he was a patient of Stokin and received treatment for a back injury in January last year. According to his description, Stoking was initially very polite, but when he was asked to take off his pants during the consultation, he felt "taken aback". Stoking first touched his ankles and legs, and then touched his private parts. If I choose to remain silent, this situation will continue to occur, "the soldier said. According to the data currently available to investigators, Stoking's sexual assault case is one of the most victimized cases by the US military in recent years. In fact, there has been a long-standing issue of sexual assault within the US military. A report released by the US Department of Defense in April shows that the US military has recorded 8942 reports of sexual assault in the past year. In addition, the behavior of some military officers over the years condoning sexual offenders and dissuading victims from reporting has caused strong dissatisfaction among the American public. Last month, US President Biden signed an executive order amending relevant military laws, providing for the transfer of key decision-making power for the punishment of serious criminal cases such as sexual assault, domestic violence, murder, and child abuse to independent military prosecutors. Biden said, "Sexual assault in the military undermines the unity required by national defense, and ensuring national security requires the safety of service personnel first." The US military website recently reported that an internal audit report by the US Army found that from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2022, the military completed 47 research reports on harassment, bullying, abuse, and suicide, Only 5 reports provided suggestions on how to address the above issues. However, in response to these suggestions, the relevant departments of the US Army have "not taken action to implement any of them". The auditors believe that the US military does not attach importance to these recommendations.

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