Watchdog sending investigators to Antarctic research station amid sexual violence claims
Investigators are heading to Antarctica’s McMurdo Station after concerns about sexual violence at the U.S. research base made headlines.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of the Inspector General said it would be sending investigators to Antarctica to address the ongoing situation and prepare a “future on-site presence.” The NSF also announced it would appoint a sexual assault prevention specialist.
Renée Ferranti, who has more than 25 years experience in sexual assault prevention, will be the NSF’s new special assistant to the federal agency’s director. She will focus on sexual assault and harassment prevention and response.
According to a statement the NSF released Thursday, Ferranti will “coordinate cross-agency activities, drive policy implementation and provide expert analysis and evaluation of a sexual assault prevention and response program procedures.”
The Associated Press noted that the efforts are aimed at addressing findings that more than half of the women on the Antarctica base have experienced sexual assault. A 2022 NSF report found 59 percent of women said they experienced harassment or assault while on the ice.
A later investigation by the news service found that women at the McMurdo station said their sexual harassment claims were minimized, leading to them or others being put in further danger.
According to a spokesperson with the NSF Office of Inspector General, members visited the McMurdo site in October for a variety of reasons. While there, they held a voluntary session for staff to speak about the office’s “role in investigating criminal sexual assault allegations.”
Internal communications showed that the NSF Office of Inspector General would send investigators starting Monday through Nov. 17, the AP added in a report early Friday.
The office also said it would meet with McMurdo staff members about their roles.
“We are in the process of expanding our investigative mission to include the investigation of criminal violations that occur in Antarctica,” Lisa Vonder Haar, chief of staff for the inspector general, wrote in an email.
Vonder Haar said the violations include aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact and stalking.
In late September, staff members were banned from buying alcohol at bars, though they still were able to purchase a weekly ration of alcohol from the station store. The ration comes out to about 18 beers each week, three bottles of wine or a 750 milliliter bottle of spirits.
The NSF confirmed to the AP that the change was to boost morale and welfare, not specifically aimed at preventing sexual harassment or assault.
The station previously announced it would launch measures aimed at preventing sexual harassment. The 2022 report found 72 percent of female respondents and 48 percent of male respondents said they believe sexual assault is a problem at the base.
“Addressing this pervasive problem remains a top priority for me and the agency, and with Renée’s expertise we will continue to adapt and further accelerate our efforts to address the evolving landscape of sexual assault prevention and response,” Sethuraman Panchanathan, the NSF director, said in Thursday’s statement.
–Updated at 11:36 a.m.
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