Sexualized Harassment

Reports are currently circulating on social media and other channels that the Freie Universität Berlin administrators and heads have discouraged people affected by sexualized harassment or violence from calling the police in an emergency. These reports are false.

During a session of the Academic Senate on February 15, 2022, Professor Günter Ziegler, president of Freie Universität Berlin, made an official statement on the matter:

“In the past, we have received multiple reports of sexualized harassment on campus. While we have been able to determine that the perpetrator is not affiliated with the university, we are not permitted to share any further information about the individual for data protection purposes. The person in question has been banned from all Freie Universität premises since the beginning of January, and measures have been taken to ensure that this ban is upheld.

Freie Universität condemns violence and sexualized harassment of any kind whatsoever, and takes the safety of its members very seriously. The university provides a variety of support services aimed at protecting university members from sexualized harassment, discrimination, and violence – and preventing such behavior in the first place. For example, a range of guidelines and counseling services are in place to address sexualized harassment, discrimination, and violence. The Standing Working Group on Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Violence has also been established to provide specialized information and support. The concierges and doorkeepers in university buildings are also trained to provide assistance in such cases. The university’s central telephone hotline is open 24 hours.

If there is an emergency on campus, or if you or someone else is in danger, we ask that you do not hesitate in calling the police.

AStA has explicitly questioned whether people who are being harassed or are in danger should call the police, suggesting that police officers could behave inappropriately or with racist intent.

This is poor advice – if you are in danger or are being harassed, failing to inform the police is simply dangerous. Preventing danger is one of the police service’s main tasks. For this reason, we would like to emphasize the following: Freie Universität assumes that the police will and should be contacted in the event of danger!

AStA’s statement has been the subject of public debate over the past few days and has garnered media attention. This has resulted in the spread of inaccurate information and misrepresentations of the situation. Several inappropriate, offensive, aggressive, and threatening statements were made on social media in particular.

Insults, threats, and defamations against the university, AStA, or its individual members are unacceptable – even in cases of a difference of opinion. In some cases, these should also be reported and legal action taken.”

Has Freie Universität Berlin recommended that students affected by sexualized harassment, discrimination, or violence refrain from calling the police?

No, neither the university administration nor the Executive Board of Freie Universität Berlin has advised its members against calling the police in an emergency. If there is an emergency on campus, or if you or someone else is in danger, we ask that you do not hesitate in calling the police. The university provides a variety of support services aimed at protecting university members from sexualized harassment, discrimination, and violence – and preventing such behavior in the first place.

For example, a range of guidelines and counseling services are in place to address sexualized harassment, discrimination, and violence. The Standing Working Group on Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Violence has also been established to provide specialized information and support. The concierges and doorkeepers in university buildings are also instructed to provide assistance in such cases. The university’s central telephone hotline is open 24 hours.

Does Freie Universität Berlin protect perpetrators of sexualized violence?

Freie Universität Berlin condemns all forms of violence and sexualized harassment. The safety and security of university members is of the utmost importance to the Executive Board. A perpetrator’s personal background is irrelevant in this respect.

The university provides a variety of support services aimed at protecting university members from sexualized harassment, discrimination, and violence – and preventing such behavior in the first place. For example, a range of guidelines and counseling services are in place to address sexualized harassment, discrimination, and violence. The Standing Working Group on Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Violence has also been established to provide specialized information and support. The concierges and doorkeepers in university buildings are also instructed to provide assistance in such cases. The university’s central telephone hotline is open 24 hours.

Were women sexually harassed on Freie Universität Berlin premises? What is the university doing about this?

In this specific case, we can confirm that Freie Universität Berlin is aware that multiple complaints were received in the past from university members regarding harassment on campus from an individual unaffiliated with the university. This individual has been banned from all Freie Universität premises for some time now, and measures have been taken to ensure that this ban is upheld. Preventing danger is one of the police service’s main tasks.

For this reason, Freie Universität assumes that anyone who finds themselves in danger on campus will contact the police. The concierges and doorkeepers on campus have also been instructed to contact the police in case of emergency. For the purposes of data protection, we are unable to provide any more information on the perpetrator in question; we ask for your understanding.

What is the role of AStA at Freie Universität and to whom is AStA accountable?

In accordance with Sections 18-20 of the Berlin Higher Education Act, the student body (Studierendenschaft) is responsible for managing its own affairs within the framework of the valid statutory provisions. The student body is a legally capable sub-entity within the university. The Allgemeine Studierendenausschuss (AStA) represents the student body. This means that it is bound by the resolutions made by the student parliament. The members of AStA are held accountable to the student parliament and the general assembly of students.

The university only has legal oversight of the student body. As such, the university can only take legal action against the rulings and measures taken by the student body when these are in violation of existing laws. At the same time, Freie Universität Berlin regularly communicates with the various organizations that act on behalf of the student body. In the case presented above, it has already made its position clear to the members of AStA, namely that AStA’s position does not reflect that of Freie Universität as a whole.