A researcher at a South African base in Antarctica has been accused of physical abuse and sexual harassment. South Africa has said it has no immediate plans to remove the accused or his colleagues.
South Africa's environment department said on Tuesday it would not expel scientists from a remote Antarctic base after investigating allegations that one of them physically assaulted and sexually harassed other researchers at the base.
“There have been no incidents that would require the return of any of the nine wintering crew members to Cape Town,” South African Environment Minister Dion George said in a statement to The New York Times. He added: “Everything is calm and under control at the base.”
Dr George said the allegations against the researcher at the base, called Sanae IV, were first reported to the government last month. South African authorities have since been investigating the claims, he said. But being nearly 2,700 miles away and with limited access to the isolated scientists, investigators faced unique challenges.
Antarctica is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, with limited infrastructure and extreme climate. Researchers there can be effectively cut off from the rest of the world for months on end. Unpredictable weather, icy surfaces and months of darkness make it nearly impossible to come and go freely.
These harsh conditions have traditionally made it difficult for countries to monitor the behavior of explorers. For a continent with no permanent inhabitants, Antarctica has become the site of a significant amount of crime and misconduct.
Jane K. Willenbring, now a professor at Stanford University, alleged that the prominent geologist harassed her when she was a graduate student during expeditions in 1999 and 2000. She filed a complaint in 2016, once she had secured a permanent position.
