♪ ♪ >> i was a u.s. marine and i was raped by a fellow marine. >> i'm a navy veteran and i was raped by united states sailor. my name is katie webber and i was raped by another soldier.

>> cheryl: welcome to "beyond the headlines." today we're talking about military sexual trauma or mst. according to the department of defense in 2010 there were 19,000 cases and 13.5%6 the cases were reported. we're going to here from jackie speier what to do to combat the problem. also a man was victimized while in the air force. he wants to inspire more men. we're joined by the women's prevention out reach and palo alto of the v.a. health system and katie with the united states army. thank you both for being here. that was very difficult subject. katie i had the pleasure of meeting you and i know your

story is complicated. could you please share that with our viewers? >> i joined the service at 17 1/2 years old. my parents had to sign for me. i was stationed in germany. the first week i was raped by a specialist. when i told them nobody believed me. there was no way he would have done something like that to me. luckily i went to the hospital and sought recourse that way. but it got works. >> cheryl: he continued to stalk you. he threatened me in my bar action room. he jumped out the window on two separated occasions. i advised my chain of command i needed support. i would be afraid he would be in my room. >> cheryl: i'm sorry sorry about that. you had additional injuries? >> i did. my back was injured. i was pushed off a fire escape.

i felt a little over one story. so my back was injured and emotionally mentally i was struggling. >> cheryl: you did get some care some prescriptions or medications to ease the pain? >> i didn't get anything like that until after i was out of the military. i was discharged because i was overweighted but i was discharged in order to get rid of me. i didn't seek any real medical help anti-depress anlts until i was home. >> cheryl: did you have something mentally as a result of this? >> yeah. first thing was being stuck in a foreign county with a bunch of people that didn't believe me. i was definitely suil. if it wasn't for the prescription medication, i probably would have committed

suicide. today i'm in recovery and i'm feeling so much better about it. >> cheryl: i know you help people like yourself. doctor, you see a lot of this in your practice? >> we do. katie's story is not uncommon as shocking as it is. >> can you tell us the kinds of women who are getting help from you? >> sure. we see all areas, all ranks come to us discharged from the military. years later they do share stories like katie's where there was an assault or harassment of a threatening nature. >> cheryl: had they have problems, women turn to drugs and self-medicate or to eat for comfort? >> there are a lot of symptoms. consequences to sexual trauma. those include having strong emotions, showing anger, deep

sadness. it can be feelings of numbness. substance abuse and sleep disruption. avoiding situations that can remind you of the incident that happened. those are all reactions. >> cheryl: is that a form of palo alto sd? >> it's a psychological trauma that can result from a situation whereas ptsd is a disorder a psychological disorder. >> cheryl: are you shocked at the numbers of people that come to you with this situation? >> it's surprising and unfortunately the numbers that we see is just the tip of the iceberg because there are a lot of people that don't report. >> cheryl: what happened to katie, you never got any help at all? >> no. i mean, the v.a. has been great

to me. i go to a small clinic. they have been able to provide me with all kinds of tools, coping skills, classes, women only classes. they have been very helpful, while i was in service wearing a uniform i was serving next to my rapist in the next building. nothing was done. nothing was done except for my insistence on i can going to the hospital and noted that it happened. >> cheryl: before we run out of time for this segment, do you encourage women to report? >> that is a great question. it's already happened and their experience in the military, as a veteran you certainly approach that issue with them but we're more interested in the care that they need. >> cheryl: we have a lot more to talk about. when we continue we're going to

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it happens again and again. >> they prey women and men, girls and boys in our home. >> we're talking about military

sexual trauma. mst. that was part of a critical acclaimed documentary. katie is featured in the film and they talk about this. how do you think the movies and another one is on the way? >> seeing that film for the first time was like an answer to any prayer i might have had how to explain my family and friends what i was going through or what i had been through. there was no way to put it into words. >> you had four kids so you had to tell them something? >> this film really put it in perspective. it helped explain where i am coming from and really encouraged my recovery since i've spoken up about it. >> cheryl: doctor, i don't know if you had a chance to see the move but the more people -- movie but it's about getting the

help they need? >> i think katie and other folks that are willing to come forward is such an important part of people understanding that it's not uncommon and what the experience is like and hopefully help other people. it's a tremendously brave thing to do. >> cheryl: it takes a lot of courage. there is lot of le percussions. how can people protect themselves from being traumatized or being assaulted? >> we don't know why some people experiences and why others don't. it's really interesting question. it speaks to the culture of the military and culture of society at large. that would be something to tackle to help. >> cheryl: there was such a code of honor, when i heard the stories, it just shocked me. how are you doing now? >> i'm doing great. i'm really great.

i was given a lot of prescription medication to get through a tough time in my life. i got clean and sober several years ago. i'm showing other people in my community how i am doing it. i'm doing outpatient therapy at the v.a. and every possibility to heal. >> cheryl: she is advocating for herself which is hard to do. what advice would you have who have friends or relatives that need help? >> i would say really important thing is the mst coordinator. all they need to call the facility. you can find it on the v.a. website and ask for sexual trauma coordinator tha and that will help you get connected.

>> i just feel this is getting the attention it deserves. i hope when i die i don't have to worry about the rest of the women and men who have decided to serve our country honorably. i think it's time we start prosecuting some people. >> cheryl: we're going to talk more about that later on. doctor, what are thoughts from you? >> covering this issue is so very important. it's the unique thing about military sexual trauma and i'm very grateful. >> cheryl: thank you for speaking bun this issue. we do have to take a break. coming up next, military sexual trauma doesn't only affect women. we're going to hear from a man who has come forward hoping his story will help make a change.

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i was knocked unconscious from behind. when i came to, i was being held down by two individuals and someone was pulling my pants down and i was sodomized. the whole thim time i thought i was going to die. >> cheryl: welcome back. we are talking about military sexual trauma or mst for short. you saw a clip from justice denied, it's a powerful if film

that looks at the male victims of mst. many men are victims of mst but may not report it. recently i spoke to one of the men in the film michael matthews where along with his wife spoke about the experience. >> cheryl: i know it's not a comfortable thing to talk about, but please tell us what happened to you? >> in 1974 i was stationed at an air force base in missouri, one night i was attacked by three members of the military and i was raped. >> cheryl: 19 years old. this is something -- i understand that you didn't tell anybody and didn't tell for a long time in your marriage. you've been married for a long time. >> we've been married 27 years and i found out about this 11 years ago. >> cheryl: did you something was wrong with him? was his character or behavior or

other issues? >> yes, over the years i had a feeling there was some underlying something, a depression, but i wasn't sure what it was about. we had gone to counseling. we had gone for couples andivid. individual. even with all that i still didn't go what was going on zbloofb what did you finally make you speak up and tell her? >> we went back to new york after 9/11. my wife was doing counseling with the fire department. that was bringing up issues, bringing my ptsd. it was pretty grueling when i was in counseling. counsel had a feeling and i told him about my rape. it was like -- i don't know. i had to eventually work up to the point where i could telle my wife.hought i thought was going to lose my

wife. i told the right person. she was very supportive and helped me through it. >> cheryl: and you never reported it in the military. why not? >> you know, i'm from new york. i'm probably a little streetwise. it was more about knowing that if i did, i couldn't stay 20 years in the military and have a career. i knew what would happen if i came forward. >> cheryl: you were afraid of people of retaliation and you would lose your career? >> yeah, i figured i would be discharged. in hiend sight, they goat discharged and they discharge a personality disorders. they make the victim again. >> cheryl: when he told you, what did you think? >> at first, i felt a sense of relief but a i always suspected he wasn't telling me. something was bothering him. i felt i'm not crazy.

then secondly, we sat together and we talked. what i realized was this was going to be something that would require a solution focused approach. counseling, couples, individual, it's a process. you know what, it will be okay. we'll work lieu this together. we are in the process of working through it together. >> cheryl: i know you are supporters of the stop act, this bill by jackie speier. what are your thoughts on the bill? >> the problem with the military it takes on to the chain of command they call it but it only goes to the commander. they are not qualified to determine whether it's rape or not. most of the time they decide it's not rape. the perpetrator keeps doing rapes. a normal perpetrator does 300 to 600 during their lifetime. there are more me than and women in tha are raped than any other

factor in our society. it's epidemic proportions and the stop acted will put it special tribunal, military and civilian and there will be support for the victims to get counseling and not to be looked at as having a personality disorder and they discharge you. they discharge you because they don't want to charge you with ptsd. >> cheryl: as a message to victims out there, michael? >> coming forward is the important thing even if you are not coming forward for the military. coming forward and getting counseling because it's really -- it will ruin your life. the behaviors you exhibit. i'm getting over all that stuff now. >> cheryl: and you? >> pick up the phone and call the v.a., call somebody else.

call a friend. if you can't make the call because you are depressed, ask somebody to make the call for you. you have to be persistent. go on line and facebook. check in with the website that is sponsored by nancy pair ib, we will help you find the connections you need. thank you. >> cheryl: once again, that was michael jerry lynn and our thanks to them. their film is called "justice denied." i'm going to sit down with jackie speier and what is being done to combat the issue.

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>> terry: question about are we doing enough is juxtaposed with

are we doing enough and the answer is, we have to keep at it. >> cheryl: that was general dem dempsey whether enough is being done to combated military sexual trauma. welcome back to "beyond the headlines". joining us right now in the studio is congresswoman jackie speier. she is the member of the house armed service committee and she introduced a bill called the stop act. congresswoman thanks for being here. you were relentless about the subject. more than a year now. >> it's an issue that has been plaguing us for years and we're talking about victims that have been kicked out of the military and it's high time we deal with this issue, much like the catholic church that took forever to deal with pedophilia.

>> cheryl: you have talked to victims more than two dozen times? >> that's right. 23 times. telling the soars stories of of survivors that have endured unbelievable discrimination, more often than not been label with personality disorders and been involuntary discharged from the military with an honorable discharge but these are young people that wanted to make a career of it. they have lost that opportunity. meanwhile, the sexual predators that caused the injury continued to serve. >> cheryl: part of your bill will take reporting out of the chain of command. perpetrator is your commander officer what do you do? >> that is exactly right. the problem is now, 23% shall the direct report to your commander. about 35% are individuals who are right above your commander.

it is typically in that chain of command. what the bill does is it would stay in the military and would be staffed with military and civilians and expertise and prosecutions, they will make the decision as to whether move forward with the case. >> cheryl: what is the status of the bill right now? >> it has 125 sponsors but we haven't had a hearing on the bill. there is a real resistance to take on the military because it's seem seen as unpatriotic. i think it's unpatriotic not to protect men and women that are raped and sexually assaulted and treated and mistreated in the process. >> cheryl: you called for congressional hearings, what is the status of that? >> the congressional hearings are being held where there are 18 military training instructors

that have been implicated with assaulting 412 train ee, ees have come forward. the fear of coming forward the fear is you will lose your career. the hearing and 70 members have called on them to have a hearing. we probably won't have a hearing in the couple months but now agreed there will be a hearing held. >> cheryl: so i just read in the paper this week the woman has been leaving a training base because of a sex scandal. is that going to make a difference? >> i hope so. it's really a cultural problem whether you are a male or female if you buy it's okay, then the problem will persist. >> cheryl: now, you brought this article. title is raped and alone. you say an article -- >> its cover story in

prestigious magazine. we are being heard. all the victims who have come forward whose lives have really been destroyed who feel there is some opportunity to make themselves whole again, their work is not logst here. it's being taken seriously. >> you work with protect our defenders? >> that's right. they are there to provide services to those who have been victimized and developing a wealth of resources in the library for people to access and chat rooms on that website as well. >> cheryl: that is wonderful resource. this is not going away overnight. so what can people do to protect themselves and afraid of reporting this? >> we don't fix this if the fear of reporting continues. but they also need to seek services because their recovery is linked to how swiftly they

access the services. if they don't want to be plagued with this the rest of their lives. it's important they do something right away. >> cheryl: will the v.a. be good? >> the v.a. has a pretty good program they have developed. that is one place. if you are in active duty military you need to can see the mental services and a call my office. call me. i will make sure you get the services you need. >> cheryl: congresswoman, thank you so muc th >> thank you for all you've done. >> cheryl: that is all the time we have nor now. thanks for our special guests in joining us. information we talked about today is available for you on our website at abc7news.com/community. find us on facebook also and also follow me on twitter at cheryl at abc7. have a great week. we will see you next time. bye for now.

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