This sounds like a plot from a horror film. Researchers trapped on a remote Antarctica research base sent out an email to the world pleading for assistance as a colleague has been accused of assault.
This was real. A researcher in South Africa’s isolated Sanae IV Base in Antarctica sent an urgent email accusing one of nine members of the team of being violent and mentally unstable. The researcher who is not publicly identified sent an email to a South African journalist from the Sunday Times newspaper requesting immediate action to ensure team safety.
According to The Times, the researcher claimed that the male member of the team had sexually assaulted one colleague, physically assaulted another, and threatened to kill yet another. South African officials, however, later stated that the report of sexual assault was incorrect.
“His behavior has become increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence,” the newspaper quoted the researcher as writing, adding: “Immediate action must be taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa released a press release stating that the alleged assault on the base was reported to the agency on February 27. This triggered a response plan in which “trained professionals”, employed by the government agency, were used to mediate. The department stated that the mediators engaged with the base team “almost daily.”
According to the agency’s report, the alleged perpetrator “willingly” participated in a psychological evaluation and has shown remorse. He is also willing to cooperate with any recommendations.
The statement continued to state that the male perpetrator wrote an apology to his victim and was “willing to verbally apologize” to other members of the team.
Dion George, South African Environment Minister, said on Tuesday “The situation remains calm at the base and everything is under control.”
George said that “a team of psychologists and experts” was also in “direct, constant and direct” contact with his team.
George replied that he was “considering all options” to ensure the team’s safety.
The options are limited, due to the severe weather conditions that have cut off the base from the sea. The base is located on stilts, near a cliff, and will be occupied by the team until December when, during the Antarctic summer season, a ship from South Africa will arrive to bring them back.
To get the team out of there before that date, an emergency evacuation at a significant cost would be necessary.
The Environment Department said that it had also initiated a legal “labor relation process” to investigate [the claim of] physical abuse and alleged sexual harassment.
There have been several incidents where team members threatened violence at the remote base, and two other members were evacuated on previous expeditions.
The incident has led to a discussion about the reliability and validity of the psychometric testing given to members before they are deployed to the remote station. Scientists who have been sent to this base, as well as others similar to it, have described how lonely and isolated it can be, with white, silence, and being cut off from the outside world. This isolation can affect someone’s mental state.
