Boaventura de Souza Santos is a professor at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. The issue was to take place from 2013 to 2014
in the report published to general agency On Friday (April 14, 2023) State Rep Bella Gonsalves (Psol-MG) announced that he was sexually harassed by Portuguese professor Boaventura de Souza Santos during his doctoral supervision at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), from 2013 to 2014.
The congressman’s statement comes after an article was published about sexual misconduct in academia. Here it is full From the document (9.8 MB, in English).
In the text published in March 2023, 3 former students reported cases of harassment by professors from the same department at the Portuguese university. Without naming names, abuse of power againstYoung women researchers who depend on academic approval to build their careers“,”Intellectual and sexual extraction” that it “Escaping from the Punishment“.
The text refers to Boaventura and his assistant Bruno Senna Martins as “star teacher“and the”an apprentice“, respectively. According to Gonsalves, the professor said: “People close to him have many advantages and he suggested us to deepen the relationshipAt that time, the current deputy was 26 years old. Teacher, 74 years old.
After the harassment, Bella Gonsalves was not welcomed or helped by the university. “It’s a very hierarchical, sexist, and patriarchal structure. Boaventura was already known for abusive behaviour. He insulted students in public, insulted researchers, and assumed inappropriate attitudes at parties. But he was the director of the academic center. I knew nothing would happen to him.Gonsalves told an agency.
The Capes (Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Improvement), the program through which the deputy received a scholarship to study abroad, did not offer an alternative to maintaining the benefit, according to Bella Gonsalves.
in NBSince 2022, says Capes, the Ombudsman has beenIt has a team ready to meet and handle the requests of managers, civil servants, collaborators and scholarship holders [Brasil] And abroadincluding cases of sexual harassment.
The Foundation also declares that in cases of this kind, “[garante] Confidentiality and identity protection of whistleblowers and referral of complaints to appropriate bodies, such as Corregedoria, the Ethics Committee and the Attorney General’s Office“.
The deputy intends to introduce a bill obligating the construction of channels for psychological support and harassment complaints in universities and research institutes in Minas Gerais. Plans to move the debate to the National Congress, through the Psol seat.
“Research programs may not be suspended due to instances of harassment. It’s not just about the Boaventura case. It comes to many teachers who maintain the same behavioursays Bella Gonsalves.
After publishing the report before general agencyThe management and presidency of the Scientific Council of CES (Center for Social Studies) of the University of Coimbra have decided to dismiss Professors Boaventura de Souza Santos and Bruno Sina Martins.
“As already announced, CES is putting together an independent commission to investigate the events described in that article. During this process and until conclusions are drawn, CES reports that Boaventura de Sousa Santos and Bruno Sena Martins have been suspended from all positions they have held.‘, says the note. Here it is full (135 KB).
According to the Portuguese newspaper Diario de NoticiasSantos stated that the article, which was published by the students in March, “It is a miserable act of institutional and personal revengeThe teacher further said,Regarding the insinuations I’ve received, I want to make it clear that I will confront any alleged victim with serenity and a sense of responsibility.“.
On Twitter, the lawmaker thanked the messages of support she had received. “It is not easy to expose harassment, nor will it ever be. But it’s such a relief to be able to put it down. And thanks to the welcome I’ve received, especially from women, I feel stronger“, He said.
a The power is 360 I contacted both professors at the University of Coimbra via email at 1:36 PM and 3:27 PM (Brasilian time), but did not receive a response until this report was published, at 4:06 PM (Brasilian time). The space remains open for demonstrations.
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