In public statements and appearances, the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) defends taking every necessary step to prevent the revictimization of someone who reports sexual harassment. Revictimization, as described by the science minister Diana Morant in a March session of Congress, is the harm a victim endures when institutions fail to respond properly and justly. She pledged to continue the administrative process after a report, beyond judicial proceedings, and to shut the door on all sexual harassment within the organization. The hope for a clear roadmap faced questions, particularly after the case of 43-year-old Carmen Fernández, who disappeared from a Galician oceanographic ship last September after being forced back to the very scene where she reported the assault. A waiter on the vessel pressed for a transfer, but the government argues the option was rejected because it was not included in the ship’s agreement. Critics insist this is not true and call the explanation insufficient.
The ship’s collective agreement, registered in Barcelona under code 0807741, does not specify any mobility measures. Yet the CSIC’s Prevention and Intervention Protocol for sexual harassment and gender-based violence does require, to protect those involved and after hearing them, that the Commission on sexual harassment can propose, with documented justification, potential mobility for those affected, and any other protective measures that it deems appropriate to prevent further harm. The García del Cid agreement, which the government says blocked Carmen Fernández from being reassigned, places organizational power firmly with CSIC. Specifically, Article 4.1 states: “The organization of work is the exclusive prerogative of CSIC, without prejudice to the rights and faculties of hearing, consultation, information, and negotiation, subject to the principles of agility, punctuality, and sufficiency for workers’ representatives.”
“An Excuse”
Given that the institution is the one authorized to order assignments aboard the ship, it should have been possible to respond to the woman’s plea. CSIC and the Institute of Oceanography workers who have experienced transfers between ships share this view. The family of the missing woman, a native of Cangas do Morrazo and a mother of three, condemned the institution’s explanations. “That was an excuse. What sense does a harassment protocol make if you can’t move a person to another ship?” Carmen left notes in a diary expressing the anguish of having to return to the vessel where she had been harassed, and where she feared further harm. She wrote, “If you don’t find me, I may throw myself overboard. I love you all.” CSIC has not admitted that the worker had requested a change of ship. Their current position, in writing to Congress, is that Carmen passed aptitude tests to board the García del Cid, and that there is no tool to prevent a person who meets the three aptitude requirements from being assigned elsewhere.
The case of the missing woman, whose disappearance has not been fully clarified, sparked a strong reaction within CSIC, with many staff criticizing what they see as indifference from the institution. Not only about Carmen, but about all reports of harassment or abuse at CSIC centers. Official government records show twelve cases reported between 2019 and 2023, though a parliamentary group later raised the figure to twenty. This week, at the initiative of ERC, Congress voted on a motion arising from an urgent interpellation urging CSIC to revise and strengthen its protocol to protect women. The motion received broad support in the chamber, with the exception of votes from Vox lawmakers.
“There is a systemic error that the Science Ministry has been perpetuating for years, namely the interpretation that once the criminal process ends, the administrative route also ends. This means that, on the one hand, victim care and prevention measures are not applied after criminal proceedings, and on the other, sanctions for aggressors are not enforced,” the motion states.
In response to these concerns, CSIC remains under scrutiny as lawmakers and workers press for meaningful changes to procedures that govern safety, mobility, and accountability across all its centers and on research ships. The ongoing debate emphasizes the need for clear, enforceable protections that persist beyond the conclusion of any criminal case, ensuring that victims are supported and that perpetrators face appropriate consequences regardless of where the incident is reported.
- “García del Cid” collective agreement
- “The organization of the work is within the exclusive competence of the CSIC, without prejudice to the rights and powers of hearing, consultation, information and negotiation, subject to the principles of agility, punctuality and competence granted to workers’ representatives.”
- CSIC protocol against sexual harassment
- “To guarantee the protection of the persons involved in this process, and after hearing them, the Commission against sexual harassment may propose, with justification, the possible mobility of the persons affected and any other precautionary measures it deems appropriate to prevent greater harm.”
- Central government’s response to Congress (02-27-24)
- “The person initially reported was not part of the ship’s mission, meaning they were not present when the ship set sail. The García del Cid ship has its own contract with its own working conditions that do not make mobility possible. There is no means to ensure that if a person meets the three eligibility requirements, they will not be referred.”