Investigators have been sent to Antarctica after a chilling report revealed that over half of the women working at the continent’s U.S. base have experienced sexual violence.
Antarctica is known for its vast icy terrain and isolated location, characteristics that mystify and intrigue outsiders – but also characteristics that have led to a rampant culture of sexual abuse.
McMurdo Station – the U.S. Antarctic research station – is under investigation for harboring a shockingly high number of sexual assault and harassment claims.
The cluster of buildings is stationed on the south tip of Ross Island and hosts up to 1,200 residents over the summer – a large majority of Antarctica’s population. At least a third of those residents are women. In the winter, the number dwindles to about 200 people.
The National Science Foundation is sending investigators to McMurdo in an effort to address the overwhelming amount of sexual violence that allegedly takes place at the remote research base.
Antarctica is known for its vast icy terrain and isolated location, characteristics that mystify and intrigue most people – but also characteristics that have led to a rampant culture of sexual abuse
McMurdo Station – the U.S. Antarctic research station – is under investigation for harboring a shockingly high number of sexual assault and harassment claims . The cluster of buildings is stationed on the south tip of Ross Island and hosts up to 1,200 residents – a large majority of Antarctica’s population
The investigation was inspired by a marine diesel mechanic from Maine who confessed she kept a hammer in her sports bra to protect herself because she was crippled with fear that she was going to be sexually assaulted or killed (Pictured Liz Monahon – the mechanic)
Renée Ferranti, who boasts over 25 years experience in sexual assault prevention, was chosen to be the NSF’s new special assistant to the federal agency’s director.
Ferranti’s role will ‘coordinate cross-agency activities, drive policy implementation and provide expert analysis and evaluation of a sexual assault prevention and response program procedures,’ according to an NSF statement released on Thursday.
Ferranti said: ‘I am honored to join NSF and contribute to the important work of sexual assault prevention and response.’
The Earth’s southernmost continent holds a total population of as little as 1,300 in winter and no more than 5,100 during the summer months.
Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries – all of which are parties of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System.
The isolated community was exposed by an AP investigation that uncovered dramatic rates of sexual assault and harassment – amongst other claims that women’s outcries were not taken seriously.
The investigation was inspired by a marine diesel mechanic from Maine who confessed she kept a hammer in her sports bra to protect herself because she was crippled with fear that she was going to be sexually assaulted or killed.
Liz Monahon, 35, was the mechanic who spoke out against the raging harassment she and many other women on the U.S. base were facing.
Monahon described being trapped in the toxic and dangerous secluded environment, she said: ‘No one was there to save me but me. And that was the thing that was so terrifying.’
The isolated community was exposed by an AP investigation that uncovered dramatic rates of sexual assault and harassment – amongst other claims that women’s outcries were not taken seriously
Another victim – Jennifer Sorensen – claimed she was raped at McMurdo in 2015. She said that the NSF had attempted to pin the blame on alcohol for the high rates of sexual misconduct at the base
The National Science Foundation published a report in 2022 which revealed 59% of women said they’d experienced harassment or assault while stationed in Antarctica, and 72% of women said such behavior was a problem on the bases
The victims agreed that Antarctica’s isolated environment and macho culture at the United States research center allowed sexual harassment and assault to ‘flourish,’ according to AP
The mechanic met the man she went on to fear while they quarantined in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic – before going to Antarctica.
Some male colleagues were hassling Monohon and another friend – but they backed off when Zak Buckingham approached.
Buckingham scared the other colleagues off and Monahon revealed that they ended up hooking up at one point.
What she didn’t know – was that Buckingham, now 35, had a history of alcohol-related criminal offending in New Zealand.
Three months before deploying, Buckingham breached a protection order taken out by his former partner and the mother of his three children, according to court records. He’d texted his ex-partner demanding oral sex. She told him to stop being inappropriate.
Buckingham quickly began to intimidate and threaten Monahon. He made sexual jokes about her and other females and warned her that ‘snitches get stitches’.
Cameron Dailey-Ruddy – a bartender on the base – said: ‘It was kind of an open secret at that point that that guy had been harassing her.’ He added that Buckingham was at the bars most nights, sometimes drank in public areas and harassed women.
Monahon felt unsupported by her superiors – who offered her a ‘top-secret’ room and one day off work – and she wasn’t alone in feeling as though her cries for help weren’t being taken seriously.
The victims agreed that Antarctica’s isolated environment and macho culture at the United States research center allowed sexual harassment and assault to ‘flourish,’ according to AP.
The National Science Foundation published a report in 2022 which revealed 59% of women said they’d experienced harassment or assault while stationed in Antarctica, and 72% of women said such behavior was a problem on the bases.
In one case, a woman who reported a colleague had groped her was made to work alongside him again.
A separate incident on ice involved a food worker on the base who told her bosses she’d been sexually assaulted at work – she was fired two months later.
One woman said that bosses at the base downgraded her allegations from rape to harassment.
Another victim – Jennifer Sorensen – claimed she was raped at McMurdo in 2015. She said that the NSF had attempted to pin the blame on alcohol for the high rates of sexual misconduct at the base.
A separate incident on ice involved a food worker on the base who told her bosses she’d been sexually assaulted at work – she was fired two months later
Monahon described being trapped in the toxic and dangerous secluded environment, she said: ‘No one was there to save me but me. And that was the thing that was so terrifying.’
An affidavit obtained by .com revealed that Stephen Tyler Bieneman – who served on a search and rescue team at the US National Science Foundation base in Antarctica – was arrested for placing his shin on a female’s throat until she couldn’t breathe
Bars at the McMurdo Station stopped serving alcohol in bars in an effort to decrease incidents of sexual assault, they recently enforced this measure so its unclear what effect it has had so far. Although – many of the allegations didn’t explicitly mention alcohol, so it’s also unclear why officials took this preventative measure.
Just five months after the shocking report – another victim stationed in Antarctica came forward with more allegations.
An affidavit obtained by .com revealed that Stephen Tyler Bieneman – who served on a search and rescue team at the US National Science Foundation base in Antarctica – was arrested for placing his shin on a female’s throat until she couldn’t breathe.
The disturbing incident took place in one of the dormitories at McMurdo Station after the female played a prank with Bieneman where she jokingly confiscated his name tag.
The NSF Antarctica Area Manager reported that the victim had been assaulted four days after the attack on November 25 – Bieneman was removed from Antarctica and put on trial in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.
Bieneman’s lawyer disgracefully called the allegations ‘horseplay’ initiated by the woman ad claimed the evidence didn’t support ‘an assault of the nature and degree she described’. The alleged attacker pleaded not guilty tp the misdemeanor.