this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025
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Summary

A South African scientist at the remote Sanae IV Antarctic base has been accused of sexual assault and violent threats, prompting urgent pleas for help.

The 10-person team is stranded for months due to extreme winter conditions. Officials were warned of the escalating situation as early as December but failed to act.

South Africa’s environment department has launched an investigation and is offering counseling.

The incident raises concerns over psychological screening for Antarctic missions, echoing past violent incidents in South Africa’s research programs.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 day ago

this article says physical assault, not sexual.

“An intervention is in place,” he said. “The person who assaulted the team leader is remorseful and has been psychologically re-evaluated willingly.” Asked what triggered the alleged assault, George said: “It was a dispute over a task the team leader wanted the team to do – a weather-dependent task that required a schedule change.”

[–] werefreeatlast 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The articles is so interesting! Why not have our greatest heroe leaders enjoy some of this peaceful resort-like friendly environment? Orange man would absolute love it. Swasticman too would love the outdoors! There, the white snow is powerful! One might say it has white....maybe one might not say that, wink, wink! C'mon O man and S man, go check it out! Maybe clean up DEI over there?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

And lets hope they do not forget that warm clothes are completely unnecessary, the freezing temperatures are a radical leftist liberal hoax!!! The truth is Antarctica is a desert and deserts are warm!!!! So dress in cool summer clothing, a pair of shorts, t shirt, flip flops and underwear is all those two will need! America needs them there to truly become great again. And if that isn’t convincing enough, remember that Austrian painter you both are so very fond of had quite an avid curiosity concerning Antarctica!!

[–] werefreeatlast 1 points 12 hours ago

The trans community is totally gonna hate that. They can't stand to watch a good Republican president show everyone his muscles on love TV from the desert dunes of the Antarctic. Forget the settlement, I'd go there and get dropped off from a blackhawk just to show how strong I was.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You would imagine the people that go to Antarctica are prepared to be self reliant. It's 9 vs 1. You could institute a little ice justice (beat him) and lock him in a room.

[–] JacksonLamb 20 points 1 day ago

Carry around a hammer?

Realistically they are probably appealing for outside help because the ones who take this seriously don't have the numbers.

[–] GreenKnight23 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

if I was locked in a building with a documented rapist for three months, I would lock him in the walk-in-freezer.

[–] Cryophilia 8 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Amazing, we've gone from "allegations of physical assault" to "allegations of sexual assault" to "documented rapist"

None of you should ever express any opinions about anything, ever. You're clearly not up to the responsibility.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ya'll are kinder than I am. I say put him outside and let the problem solve itself.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

In Antarctica, outside is the walk-in freezer

[–] Lightsong 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So it would be walk-out freezer then? 👀

[–] werefreeatlast 1 points 1 day ago

I agree to both.

[–] SpruceBringsteen 1 points 1 day ago

I think their mess hall actually heats their fridge.

[–] the_riviera_kid 107 points 2 days ago (7 children)

I would think frontier justice would apply nicely in this situation. Just boot the asshole out in the cold and nature will solve the problem for you.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Your comment is kinda case-in-point demonstrating how "frontier" justice can be unjust.

Other publications are reporting physical assault, not sexual. It could have been a slap. Still unacceptable but probably doesn't deserve death by exposure.

My point is, it sounds like a difficult situation but following procedure and running it up the chain is always the right move.

[–] Cryophilia 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

The body of this article also only mentions physical assault. It appears the telegraph completely made up the sexual assault part and is whipping people into a frenzy over it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

Yeah, well, sexual assault in the antarctic is a lot more clickable I guess.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 2 days ago (30 children)

Women and some other minorities are raised to not even consider using acts of violence to protect ourselves, like it never crosses our minds as a possibility that we could physically hurt an assailant if we wanted to. We have internalized a sense of weakness that isn’t actually true. This has been detrimental to our safety as well as the safety of other women. Fuck the patriarchy for doing this to us.

[–] JacksonLamb 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Don't put this on the victims. Women are doing their best to defend themselves.

Unfortunately there's a culture of sexual assault at Antarctica, where the "boys will be boys" crowd overrule the kind of thing @[email protected] just suggested.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I never once blamed the victims. And I never will.

[–] JacksonLamb 11 points 1 day ago (5 children)

My point is that the women being sexually assaulted in Antarctica haven't been passively sitting there saying it "never crossed their mind" to protect themselves - one had to walk around for months wielding a hammer to use as a weapon against her assailant.

It's the wider system down there and the rape culture society that is creating this system not some kind of passive internaluzed helplessness. Most women field scientists are tough as nails because they have to be.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 days ago (7 children)

Plus fear of being believed, self blame and feeling of needing to be polite.

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[–] the_riviera_kid 17 points 2 days ago (5 children)

I am sad for the way you were raised, in my entire extended family there is not one woman who would have put up with it or had any thought other than self-defense at whatever cost.

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Exactly what I was thinking.

When you're cut off from any help, you ARE your own help. Don't wait for something unthinkable to happen, this person has made it clear they don't respect you or boundaries, and have made threats.

It's 9v1, if you're scared just wait until they're asleep. Kick them out the door, lock it, and they can try walking their happy ass back to civilization. from Antarctica

Don't bother looking for a body.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've seen enough scifi to know that (ant)arctic research stations ought to have a quarantine area so that ill crewmembers can be compassionately kept alive separated from those they might harm while still having access to life support in a hostile environment.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Antarctic builds are costly, difficult, and filled with challenges you don't see in daily life, so while that might seem like a simple idea, it's about half as hard as as putting it on the space station, with a 10th or less the budget.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 days ago

I believe it's a remote station/environment issue based on my working in Antarctic and on Research ships.

NSF finally saw the light after it was forced down their throat, and they still haven't resolved it.

https://apnews.com/article/women-working-antarctica-sexual-harassment-assault-mcmurdo-ba0e550fddf1ab0afd031ff4d25143cb

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