The Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) has opened an investigation into accusations of abuse of power and harassment at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (CES), included in a report by the Independent Commission of the CES which concluded that there was "evidence of patterns of conduct of abuse of power and harassment by some people who held superior positions in the hierarchy".

For the opening of this investigation, the Attorney General's Office (PGR) confirmed to Notícias ao Minuto, a consideration was also given to "a letter from the group of victims".

"These two documents, after analysis, gave rise to an inquiry which is being investigated by the DIAP of Coimbra", reads the note from the PGR.

Three researchers who passed through the CES of the University of Coimbra denounced situations of harassment in a chapter of the book entitled 'Sexual Misconduct in the Academy - For an Ethic of Care in the University', which led to the researchers Boaventura Sousa Santos and Bruno Sena Martins ending up suspended from all the positions they held at the CES.

According to the report released in March of this year, 14 people were denounced to the independent commission, by 32 complainants, in a total of 78 denunciations.

At the end of the afternoon of 13 March, the director of the CES, considered that the conclusion of the report was "very concerning", which led to them publishing an open letter on the institution's website, in which they apologized to the victims of the practices of harassment and moral and sexual abuse and abuse of power committed by researchers of the institution.

Tiago Santos Pereira also said that the set of denunciations that were made could have some type of penal value, thereby sending the report to the Public Prosecutor's Office.

In the communiqué sent to Lusa, Boaventura de Sousa Santos states that he expected that there would have been, on the part of the CES, a clarification, which "would put an end to the climate of suspicion".

"As founder of the CES, I am more concerned today. The Independent Commission made, in months, an x-ray of 48 years of activity of the institution, based on 32 denunciations. The report focused on questions of abuse of power, in which I do not recognize myself, even responsible for the decentralization of power", he adds.

The sociologist also alludes to the fact that the report refers to patterns of conduct, over the years, of people who held superior positions in the hierarchy of the CES.

"I recall for this purpose that the CES has, in terms of bodies, a Board of Directors, Fiscal Council, General Assembly, Ethics Commission, Scientific Council and Ombudsman. I have not been part of any of them since 2010", he highlights.

In his view, the more than 600 pages of evidence that he attached to the process contributed to "nothing objective" having been concluded against him.

"Whether in the judicial or disciplinary sphere, I hope that the CES management will follow up on any indication of infringement - as it communicated that it would - and that, by my assessment of the report and as far as I am concerned, does not exist. I hope that, despite the limitations it revealed, this process will serve as an example for the future", he concludes.

Read also: Harassment, CES and Boaventura. One year later, here are the conclusions (and reactions) (Portuguese version)