Fears at the isolated Antarctic base because the man is accused of attacked a colleague

Member of a research team in South Africa, which is limited for more than a year to an isolated base in Antarctica has been placed under psychological evaluation, after having sexually assaulted and harassed colleagues, government officials said.

The problems at the base of SMAEE IV were first reported by the Sunday Times newspaper in South Africa, who said he saw an E -mail from a team member to the authorities last month, claiming that the man attacked the basic leader and threatened.

E -mail pleaded for help.

“His behavior has climbed to a point that is deeply disturbing,” said E -mail, according to Sunday Times.

“I am deeply worried about my own safety, asking me if I could become the next victim.”

The report said the man would have made a death threat.

The Ministry of the Environment of South Africa, which supervises the research missions, said on Monday night, that the alleged attack on the basic leader was reported on February 27, and the officials and counselors have intervened “to mediate and restore the basic relations”.

They were talking to the team members almost daily, he said.

“The alleged perpetrator has voluntarily participated in an additional psychological evaluation, he showed remorse and is willingly cooperative,” the ministry said, adding that he wrote a formal excuse to the victim of the alleged attack.

He said the charges were investigated. No one has been identified.

The team of nine members includes scientists, a doctor and engineers are expected to remain about 13 months until next year, authorities said, living in close quarters in the hostile winter in Antarctica, whose six months of darkness start in June.

The base is on a rock in Queen Maud’s country and is surrounded by a glacial ice sheet, more than 2,485 miles from South Africa.

The next visit planned by a supply ship is in December, according to the Antarctic National Program in South Africa. It takes the ship for about 10 days to travel from Cape Town.

The authorities said they decided not to evacuate anyone from Sanae IV, where the onset of unpredictable weather conditions meant that the team was now limited to the base.

The ministry said that all team members have undergone evaluations before the travel to ensure that they are able to cope with the “extreme nature of the environment in Antarctica” and insulation and prison and no problems have been identified.

“It is not unusual that, once individuals reach the extremely distant areas in which the scientific bases are, an initial environmental adjustment is required,” he said.

Previous problems were related to another remote research base from South Africa on the island of Marion, a South -African territory, near Antarctica.

In 2017, a member of a research team there crushed the room of a colleague with an ax on an apparent love triangle, according to a report to the South African Parliament.

Politicians said that the researchers were living in extremely stressful conditions.