The scientists of a remote research base in Antarctica have declared for their rescue, claiming threats of assault, sexual harassment and death of a team member who say that it is mentally unstable.
The problems in the base of Sanae IV isolated were first reported by the newspaper Sunday Times of South Africa, who said he had seen an email from a team member to the authorities last month affirming that the man had attacked the leader of the base and made threats.
Email He asked for help.
“His behavior has intensified to a point that is deeply disturbing,” said email, according to The Sunday Times. “I'm still deeply concerned about my own security, constantly wondering if I could become the next victim.”
The report claimed that the man made a threat of death and accused the team member of sexually assaulting another.
“In addition, he threatened to kill (another team member), creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation,” wrote the researcher without a name.
The writer said that it is now “imperative that immediate measures are taken to guarantee my safety and safety of all employees.”
According to the BBC, a team of nine researchers Due to spending the Antarctic winter In Sanae IV, led by the National Antarctic Program of South Africa and operated by the National Antarctic Expedition of South Africa.
The base is approximately 170 kilometers from the edge of the Antarctic ice shelf, more than 4,000 kilometers from South Africa. The average temperature at the base is at -23 C in the winter months, and wind speeds can reach more than 200 kilometers per hour.
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The Ministry of Environment of South Africa, which supervises the investigation missions, said in a statement Monday night that the alleged assault on the base leader was reported on February 27, and officials and counselors intervened remotely “to mediate and restore relations at the base.” They were talking to team members almost daily, he said.
“The alleged author has voluntarily participated in an additional psychological evaluation, has Remorse is shown and it is voluntarily cooperative“The Ministry said, he added that he had written a formal apology to the victim of the alleged assault. He said the accusations were being investigated. No one was identified.
The Ministry said that all team members had undergone evaluations before the trip to make sure they could deal with “extreme nature of the environment in Antarctica” and isolation and confinement, and no problems identified.
“It is not uncommon for people to reach extremely remote areas where the scientific bases are located, an initial adjustment to the environment is required,” he said.
South Africa Environment Minister Dion George, whose department manages the Antarctic program of the country, told The Guardian that “An intervention is in place“And that the alleged assault was activated by” a dispute on a task that the team leader wanted the team to do, a climate dependent that required a schedule change. “
The next visit planned by a supply ship is in December, according to the National Antarctic Program of South Africa. The ship is needed around 10 days to travel from Cape Cabo.
The authorities have said that they had decided not to evacuate anyone from Sanae IV, where the beginning of unpredictable climatic conditions meant that the team was now confined to the base.
Previous problems have been informed in another of the remote research bases of South Africa in Marion Island, a South African territory near Antarctica.
In 2017, a member of a research team there broke a colleague's room with an ax on an apparent love triangle, according to a report to the Parliament of South Africa. Legislators said that investigators lived in very stressful conditions.
The National Science Foundation, the Federal Agency that supervises the US Antarctic Program, published a report in 2022 that said that 59 percent of the women's program in the United States said they had experienced harassment or assault while they were on research trips in Antarctica.
– With Associated Press files
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