Wife of convicted rapist testifies about being assaulted by her husband

The wife of a former Fort Belvoir doctor testified Monday that her husband attacked her, beat her and duct-taped her to a basement pole to hold her captive.

Dr. Drew Steiner has already been convicted of rape for an attack on a woman he met online. Now he’s on trial for the alleged attack of his wife.

She testified the couple’s home became a place of terror in September 2020. Steiner had just gotten over COVID-19 when he asked to come out of quarantine and into their bedroom, she said.

Suddenly, Steiner pinned her to the bed, she said, telling jurors, “I said, ‘Please, I don’t feel well. I can’t breathe,’ and he said, ‘That’s the point.’”

She testified Steiner later beat her with a sandal she tried to use to defend herself, saying, “He grabbed a sandal and started to hit me very hard on my ear and head. Everything was spinning. I was just waiting for the next blow and the next blow. I tried hard not to faint.”

Her husband marched her to different rooms in the house, she testified. “Inside a bathroom, she grabbed an aerosol can to fight back, but, she said, he told her, “If you use that I’m going to shatter your face, and you know that I will.”

Eventually, Steiner took her to the basement, duct-taped her to a post, turned off the lights and left, she said. She managed to break free and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.

Jurors also saw photos taken in the ambulance after the attack showing the woman’s swollen face and bruised wrists.

Steiner's defense attorney will have the chance to cross examine the witness Tuesday.

Steiner was convicted last November of rape and unlawful videotaping for an attack on another woman. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.