A researcher at a South African base in Antarctica has been accused of physical assault and sexual harassment. South Africa said it had no immediate plans to remove the accused or any colleagues.
South Africa will not remove scientists from a remote base in Antarctica after investigating allegations that one of them physically assaulted and sexually harassed other researchers at the outpost, the country’s environment department said on Tuesday.
“There were no incidents that required any of the nine overwintering team members to be brought back to Cape Town,” Dion George, South Africa’s environment minister, said in a statement to The New York Times. He added, “All on the base is calm and under control.”
The accusations against a researcher at the base, called Sanae IV, were first reported to the government last month, Dr. George said. Since then, South African authorities had been investigating the claims, he said. But from almost 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 an extreme climate. Researchers there can be essentially cut off from the rest of the world for months on end. The unpredictable weather, icy surface and months of darkness make it nearly impossible to come and go freely.
Those harsh conditions have routinely made it difficult for countries to scrutinize researchers’ behavior. For a continent without permanent residents, Antarctica has been host to a notable amount of crime and misconduct.
Jane K. Willenbring, who is now a professor at Stanford, said that a renowned geologist harassed her when she was a graduate student during an expedition in 1999 and 2000. She filed a complaint in 2016, once she had received tenure.