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University professor in Göttingen: Court cuts salary because of harassment!
A Göttingen university professor was sued for years of sexual harassment against women and has now received a pay cut.
University professor in Göttingen: Court cuts salary because of harassment!
In recent weeks, the case of a Göttingen university professor caused a stir when it became known that he had sexually harassed several women over the course of years. How spiegel.de According to reports, the professor was convicted by a court that now significantly reduced his salary. A circumstance that causes divided opinions both within the university community and far beyond.
The details of this case are shocking. The harassment lasted several years, and the women affected were often unable to lodge complaints due to their dependency on the professor. Another aspect that has become public is the university's weak response to such attacks, which has put a lot of strain on the victims.
Universities and dealing with misconduct
This incident is not unique. Similar problems can also be seen at other universities, such as the University of Basel, where two professors made the headlines between 2018 and 2019 for sexually harassing female students. In these cases, the women concerned filed complaints that led to the professors being warned, but had no criminal consequences because sexual harassment is considered a complaint offense. The professors are still working at the university today, which causes people to shake their heads and raises the question of how serious the institutions are about protecting students. Here, too, it is clear that there was a long period of silence among the women affected, often out of fear of repression or the loss of their academic careers.
A left-wing autonomous activist group from Basel, the Revolutionary Antipatriarchal Alliance Basel (RAB), publicly outed the professors as part of their protests against this harassment. However, the action led to the immediate removal of the posters by the university, which is also considering legal action for damage to property. Critics argue that this is an example of the alleged protection of perpetrators and are loudly calling for a rethink in universities.
Victim health and social responsibility
Some of the affected students, such as a woman named Petra F. (name changed), were forced to abandon their doctoral studies due to the trauma they suffered. This sheds light on the detrimental effects of abuse of power within academic structures. Universities must take urgent measures to offer those affected a safe environment and to clearly address grievances.
The discussion about sexual harassment among university professors is more urgent than ever. The incidents in Göttingen and Basel are just two examples in a large number of cases that point to systematic injustice. Universities are called upon to finally take action and draw clear consequences for inappropriate behavior in order to provide a real chance for change.
Will the academic landscape change in the future? The pressure on universities is growing and it remains to be seen how they will respond to the legitimate demands of activists and affected women. The influence of this issue extends far beyond academic walls and creates a space for necessary social debates.