Antarctic Assault Suspect Sent to Remote Icefield With Young Students

After a warrant for his arrest was issued, a man accused of physically abusing a woman at a U.S. research station in Antarctica was sent to a remote icefield where he was tasked with ensuring the safety of a professor and three young graduate students. According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the man stayed there for a full week.

The case is scheduled for trial in Honolulu on Monday. Stephen Tyler Bieneman has entered a not-guilty plea to misdemeanor assault for the incident that occurred at McMurdo Station in November, claiming that it was only "horseplay" according to his attorney.

Why Bieneman was assigned to a crucial safety responsibility in the field while being investigated is unknown. The case poses more queries regarding American decision-making. Antarctic Program, which is now being investigated.

A pattern of women at McMurdo who claimed their managers had disregarded their allegations of sexual harassment or assault was discovered during an August review. This frequently resulted in the women or others being placed at more risk.

Additionally, the watchdog body that is in charge of the NSF said on Friday that it will be sending investigators to McMurdo this month as part of the expansion of its investigation mandate to cover offenses including stalking and sexual assault.

What Happened?

Prosecutors claim in their indictment that on late November 24 or early November 25 of last year, Bieneman-who had been drinking heavily to celebrate his birthday-walked in on a lady who was waiting for her laundry in a dorm lounge.

Prosecutors claim that the lady played a joke on him by removing his name tag from his jacket while he went to the restroom, and then she ran around the end of a sofa and refused to give it back.

(Photo: by PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images) This Aerial photograph taken on December 25, 2022, shows the basement located on Kerguelen Island, also known as the Desolation Islands, a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic. - They are among the most isolated places on Earth, located more than 3,300 kilometers from Madagascar.

Prosecutors claim that after taking her to the ground, Bieneman placed her on her back, covered her throat with his left shin, and proceeded to search through her pocket for the tag. A minute went by before Bieneman saw the tag and removed his shin from her airway while the lady frantically attempted to tell him she was having trouble breathing, tapping on his leg and making a choking motion, according to the indictment.

According to the indictment filed by the prosecution, "Victim A reported improvements with respect to muscle tightness during a follow-up visit a week later, but she was suffering from lack of sleep and appetite, anxiousness, and depression as a result of the assault." Victim A quit her job at McMurdo Station shortly after that.

No Assault?

Eyewitnesses did not support the woman's account and a doctor who checked Bieneman shortly after the event did not find any signs of "an assault of the nature and degree she described," according to an August email from Bieneman's attorney Birney Bervar to the AP.

Prosecutors say that on Nov. 29, NSF station manager and sworn Deputy U.S. Marshal Marc Tunstall learned about the event and started looking into it.

Bieneman and the research team went by Twin Otter plane to camp at the isolated Allan Hills icefield, more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from McMurdo, on December 10, two weeks after the event. The team's mission was to gather radar data in order to assist in choosing a location for future ice-core drilling. The team analyzes ice cores.

As a climber, Bieneman was in charge of ensuring the group's security in the harsh terrain. Documents state that the individual who was first assigned to the position had a mini-stroke two days before to his deployment.