The Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (IPC) has opened a disciplinary process following three complaints from students of the Higher School of Education (ESEC) about sexual harassment by a teacher who has been suspended in the meantime, the IPC chairmanship said.
The administration said it received three complaints between April 29 and May 10 and, as a result, opened disciplinary proceedings in response to the allegations.
“The target teacher was preemptively suspended in order to ensure the integrity of the process as well as to protect the alleged victims,” the institute said, noting that the complaints had been forwarded to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
“Currently, the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra is making every effort to identify potential situations of persecution,” he says, explaining that he uses internal mechanisms for this purpose, implemented “to encourage and facilitate disclosure” of cases of this kind, as on the CPI website.
Three complaints were sent to the leadership of the higher education institution through the complaint channel of the institution, another through the Student Ombudsman and another complaint through the Presidium of this organic educational unit.
“The Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra will not be able at this stage to add further information about the process in question, in accordance with the terms (…) of the General Law on Public Offices, as they are of a secret nature,” he says.
The Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra emphasizes that it is “fully committed” to maintaining the confidentiality of alleged victims.
“From the outset, to avoid situations of personal harm, as well as to protect their well-being, by having support mechanisms available to those involved, through psychological and legal support if they need it,” he also says.
The President of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra concludes the communiqué by emphasizing that he “totally rejects any situation of disrespect for the individual, not content with possible situations of moral or sexual harassment” that may arise in the institution and the units that make it up. .
The suspension of the teacher by the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra comes just over three weeks after the Polytechnic Institute of Porto suspended three teachers suspected of sexual and moral harassment.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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