Once again since allegations of sexual harassment came out against a Cairo University media professor, the Faculty of Mass Communication issued a statement on Wednesday asserting that the professor in question had previously been suspended from work and referred to disciplinary court in another incident.
For the second time, the statement did not specify the nature of the previous incident, saying it took place in April, and that as a result, the professor was suspended from work and referred to investigations, which concluded with his referral to the disciplinary council in a decision issued on 31 July.
The statement did not confirm the authenticity of a voice recording circulating over social media last week, claiming to belong to the professor, threatening a woman, believed to be a student, to force her into a sexual act.
Condemning the act in previous case proven to have occurred, the faculty’s statement aimed at clearing itself from any responsibility by asserting that if it had happened, it wasn’t on university campus, a claim that was critcised by some when the statement was first published on social media on 4 August, on behalf of the dean of the faculty.
“He is a professor at your university; you pay his salary. He blackmailed students from you university, using his position. Are you trying to cover up for him when you say you have nothing to do with him?” wrote Aladin Batal.
While some argued that the professor in question represents the university through his acts, others said that the dean of the faculty should not be held accountable, as Tuesday’s statement issued by the faculty vowed to “take legal measures against those who insulted the dean.”
In TV statements, the professor denied the claims and suggested instead that he was a victim of a politically motivated campaign to distort his image.
The case has been referred to the general prosecution for investigations, but the woman who was heard in the voice recording has not come out, making it uncertain of whether investigations will proceed or not.
So far, there is no documented information that proves the identities of the people speaking in the published voice recording, but the issue continues to stir public outrage.
This comes as the National Council for Women Rights had condemned the reported incident, calling on female students to speak up and report any threats or assaults and urging universities’ units fighting sexual harassment to increase response efforts.
