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.
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.
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.
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.
I’d love to spread your family’s mindset through the larger white American culture (the one in which I was raised)!
I was raised in America as well.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’re not a woman. I think you’re underestimating how prevalent and protected sexual assault can be
You mean there aren’t any women who would talk about it in your family I guess, cause statistically speaking that’s not likely.
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 @the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world just suggested.
I never once blamed the victims. And I never will.
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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I have! That show absolutely terrifies me, since yeah, a small minority of people convinces a ton of other people to do violence against women in a way that feels very USA 2025. But that’s a great point! When the main character realizes her power, she goes far in protecting herself and others.
It’s difficult because our culture trains us from birth to never realize we can fight back. Like, I have a strong suspicion that if I was suddenly attacked, my brain would dump all ideas of fighting back and just freeze, which of course allows the violence to happen. I don’t think this is a “natural state” of being for women or any person. I think we were just trained this way, which makes it a very difficult mindset to overcome; I believe that this is by design.
So…how do we retrain women and girls to respond with a #traumatizethemback mindset? Seems impossible to do this at the cultural level, at least for several generations.
I have a strong suspicion that if I was suddenly attacked, my brain would dump all ideas of fighting back and just freeze, which of course allows the violence to happen.
Find, and take, local self defence classes. Not necessarily martial arts classes (though they may be involved), but real world self defence. It’ll be grittier, nastier and much better practice. Get used to grappling and fighting in a controlled environment, and you’ll be much less likely to freeze if you need it in an emergency.
You’re right that’ll it’ll take a long time to change at a cultural level, but that needs to start somewhere, and obe person doing it and then encouraging others could be a local catalyst.
Thank you for the encouragement. I do need to do this. Especially with the current climate in the USA.
Icl, I’d say it’s the opposite in terms of we need less fatherlessness, not just for girls but boys as well; not only does no father figure often lead to degenerocity, particularly in women, but also since a father would care about protecting his daughter more than anything (hopefully), they can help/teach their daughters to protect themselves.
Women naturally being more compassionate, definitely leads to them being more vulnerable though, I agree.
not only does no father figure often lead to degenerocity, particularly in women
Women naturally being more compassionate
2 generalizations of women according to sexist stereotypes. I shouldn’t feed the trolls but here we are.
What in the sexist did I just read?
How is saying we need fathers more involved in the lives of their daughters sexist? 🤣🤣🤣💀💀
How is saying fathers care for their daughters sexist? Apparently not hating all men and wanting every child to have as healthy of a relationship with their parents as possible is now sexist 🤦
Oh. You assume a female victim.
You may be surprised to learn there’s room in the trending for other combinations; and I will try to believe that assertion, as I want to expect the best from you.
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.
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.
Yeah, well, sexual assault in the antarctic is a lot more clickable I guess.
That is close to my thought, “Hey asshole, you gotta sleep sometime…”
Exactly, thank you.
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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.
Realistically they are probably appealing for outside help because the ones who take this seriously don’t have the numbers.
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Ya’ll are kinder than I am. I say put him outside and let the problem solve itself.
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.
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lol nice try troll, no one can actually be this condescending. You overdid it.
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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.”
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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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Oh yeah, the person going around sexually assaulting people is going to respect a sign stating “do not enter”.
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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.
Perhaps they should remove him and arrest him instead of just offering counseling.
They’re cut off, noone’s getting in or out until the weather improves, which will be months. The team are on their own with the attacker until then and will probably appreciate counselling when they’re out.
Surprising that they’re still cut-off since it’s the Antarctic summer right now.
From the article:
The 10-person team is trapped at the remote Sanae IV base, which is on a cliff edge about 105 miles inland from the ice shelf, by encroaching ice and weather as the southern hemisphere winter sets. Teams overwintering at the base are typically cut off for 10 months at a time. Sources told South Africa’s Sunday Times that the only way to leave the base now was via emergency medical evacuation to a neighbouring German base about 190 miles away.
As far as I can see it’s currently the end of the Antarctic summer, winter is just starting, and will likely last until October. It sounds like something went badly wrong with both the psychological screening of the team members, and the decision for the ice breaker that delivered them to leave before the situation was resolved.
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?
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!!
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.
First of all these are allegations. An investigation should be conducted to gather all evidence to see if charges should be filed.
South Africa’s environment minister, Dion George, whose department manages the country’s Antarctic programme, confirmed that an assault had taken place and that he was “considering options”, without specifying what these were.
… so not merely allegations.
The “sexual” part in fact appears to have been completely made up by the telegraph.
Physical assault can cover anything from blocking a doorway to attempted murder. Let’s not jump to conclusions.
