The tension has reached a remote South African research base in Antarctica after an assault accusation by a team member against a colleague, which caused an urgent intervention of the authorities.
According to officials of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) of South Africa, which supervises the base, an “response plan to involve the individuals involved” was “activated immediately.”
However, the department confirmed that there were no plans to repatriate any of the team members despite the accusations.
In a statement sent to CNN, responding to the claims described in an email of the team, the department said: “The alleged author has voluntarily participated in an additional psychological evaluation, has shown remorse and is voluntarily cooperative to follow any recommended intervention.”
The DFFE said he received reports from the alleged assault that involved two members of the winter team of nine on February 27. The department also confirmed that it is investigating an additional claim of sexual harassment, although the identities of those involved have not been revealed.
The incident came to light after the Sunday Times of South Africa reported on the content of an email sent by the team, which accused the male colleague of physically attacking the team leader and requested external help.
“His behavior has intensified to a point that is deeply disturbing,” the author wrote in the email, according to The Sunday Times, he added: “I remain deeply concerned about my own security, constantly wondering if I could become the next victim.”
CNN said that it has not independently verified the content of the email, and the newspaper did not appoint any person.
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South Africa remains the only African country that operates a scientific station in Antarctica, where it has maintained a presence since 1960. The Sanae IV station, administered by the DFFE, usually accommodates the researchers for 13 -month rotations. The current team, said the department, was deployed on February 1.
“The department confirms that there were no incidents that required that none of the nine winter team members were brought back to Cape Cabo,” said his statement on the accusations of assault. “If such incidents occur, the department management team would have replaced a member of this winter team with immediate effect.”
This is not the first time that a South African research mission faces similar problems. In 2017, a member of an expedition team in Marion Island, according to the reports, “destroyed the laptop of another colleague with an ax due to a love triangle in which they were involved,” according to a South African parliamentary monitoring group.
The DFFE pointed out that team members undergo evaluations before implementation “to ensure that they can deal with isolation and can work and live with others in the confined space of the bases.” Even so, he acknowledged: “It is not uncommon for people to reach extremely remote areas where the scientific bases are required, an initial adjustment to the environment is required.”
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