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Army doctor to face court martial following allegations of sexual abuse
Army prosecutors are moving forward with a court martial in the case of a military doctor accused of sexual misconduct related to 42 alleged victims, according to charging documents obtained by CBS News.
The charges against the physician, Maj. Michael Stockin, include 48 counts of abusive sexual contact and five counts of indecent viewing under the military code of justice, according to documents reviewed by CBS News. The records also indicate that a majority, if not all of the 42 alleged victims are male. The documents include allegations that he attempted to cover up sexual abuse of patients by falsely representing that it had a “medical purpose.”
The case, which appears to be focused on alleged misconduct that prosecutors say occurred under the guise of treatment, represents what some experts see as a historic moment in the military’s ongoing fight against sexual assault within its ranks.
Through his attorneys Stockin has maintained his innocence.
“While there are still many questions to be answered in this case, I believe there are three undisputed facts,” Stockin’s defense attorney, Robert Capovilla, said in a statement. “First, the Army referred charges against Major Stockin last week. Second, the parties are in the process of finalizing an arraignment date. And third, the Defense Team is very much looking forward to fighting this case on behalf of a military officer whom we believe is falsely accused.”
Stockin, an anesthesiologist at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington state, has been suspended from patient care since the Army began investigating the alleged conduct. He has not been detained. An arraignment in the case is currently scheduled for Feb. 23, according to the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel, when a trial date will be determined.
In a statement, Michelle McCaskill of the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel said, “The charges are merely allegations and Maj. Stockin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.”
Stockin has served in the Army since 2013 and has been stationed at Madigan since July 2019, according to the Army. His previous assignments include Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. All of the charges included thus far relate to his time at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. However, the investigation will remain open through trial, according to McCaskill.
Five of Stockin’s former patients whose accusations are included in the charges spoke with CBS News on the condition they not be identified due to the ongoing nature of the case. They each described a similar pattern: During appointments at the center’s pain management clinic where Stockin was a specialist, when left alone with patients, he would instruct them to undress, and proceed to examine their lower body and touch them inappropriately, they alleged.
Despite recent policy changes and efforts to curb the prevalence of sexual assault, the most recent Pentagon report shows that the number of incidents has continued to grow. In a confidential survey, 16,620 male servicemembers said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2021; however during that year just 1,818 male servicemembers reported such assaults to the military. The number of reports by male victims increased by 138 reports in 2022, according to the Pentagon. In total, there were 8,942 reports of sexual assault in 2022 involving service members.
The increase in reporting is a welcome sign for advocates who believe it is key to closing that gap and ultimately curbing abuse. However, some survivors say they believe the stigma surrounding reporting sexual assault or harassment remains prevalent among men in the military.
Seven of Stockin’s former patients who allege he abused them while in his care have filed civil complaints against the Army and the Defense Department for allegedly failing to protect them from abuse. The complaints are brought under the Federal Torts Claims Act, which allows individuals to bring claims against federal agencies for wrongs committed by personnel of that agency for monetary damages.
President Biden has given the OK to lift restrictions that will allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News on Sunday. The move is a significant change to U.S. policy in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The easing of restrictions would allow Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia. The move also comes as some 10,000 North Korean troops were sent to Kursk near Ukraine’s northern border to help Russian forces retake territory.
The White House National Security Council declined to comment to CBS News.
The U.S. decision could help Ukraine at a moment when Russian forces appear to be making gains and could put Kyiv in a better negotiating position when and if peace talks happen.
It also comes as Mr. Biden is about to leave office and President-elect Trump has pledged to limit American support for Ukraine and ending the war as soon as possible.
In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would like to end the war with Russia next year through “diplomatic means.”
He said he is certain that the war will end “sooner” than it otherwise would have once Mr. Trump becomes president.
“It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens,” Zelenskyy said.
February 2025 would mark the third year of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine with Russia’s troops gaining ground in recent months.
For several months, Zelenskyy and many of his Western supporters have been requesting to use U.S. weapons to hit Russian military targets far from its border, saying the U.S. ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and electrical grids.
Some congressional Republicans have urged Mr. Biden to loosen the rules on how Ukraine can use U.S.-provided weapons.
contributed to this report.
CBS News
Ohio governor, other leaders condemn neo-Nazi march in Columbus: “Your hate isn’t welcome in our city”
Leaders in Ohio condemned a group of neo-Nazis parading around part of Columbus carrying flags with swastikas on Saturday afternoon.
Columbus public safety dispatchers told CBS affiliate WBNS on Saturday that they received multiple 911 calls around 1:30 p.m. about a group of individuals marching in the city’s Short North.
Video sent to the station showed nearly a dozen people wearing black pants, shirts and head coverings and red masks covering their mouths marching down the street. Three of the people were carrying black flags with red swastikas.
It was not immediately clear who was in the group.
Hours after the incident, Mayor Andrew Ginther released a statement saying the city rejects the “cowardly display” and that it “stands squarely against hatred and bigotry.”
“We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened or harmed because of who they are, how they worship and whom they love,” Ginther said in his statement shared on X.
The city’s attorney, Zach Klein, said in a statement on X that those involved in the neo-Nazi march should “take your flags and the masks you hide behind and go home and never come back. Your hate isn’t welcome in our city.”
“This is not who we are, and we will not tolerate or normalize this disgusting ideology in any form,” he added.
Gov. Mike DeWine said in his own statement that the people involved in the incident were “spewing vile and racist speech against people of color and Jews.”
“There is no place in this State for hate, bigotry, antisemitism or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it,” he said.
Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Joseph Albert told WNBS that there were no arrests made, although he noted that many of the individuals were detained but later released.
Columbus, Ohio’s largest city, is located roughly 45 minutes from Springfield, where the Columbus Dispatch reported that neo-Nazis marched through the streets this summer as the city became the focal point of false claims about Haitian immigrants in the presidential election.
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