Chilean Scientist Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Colleague in Antarctica: "Crime Committed in Extremely Harsh Conditions"

by Yun Seulgi

Published 25 Sep.2025 08:48(KST)

Crime committed against a French female scientist in 2019

A Chilean male scientist has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female researcher during an Antarctic expedition.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

On September 24 (local time), the British Daily Mail reported that Jorge Gallardo Cerda, a Chilean biologist indicted on sexual assault charges, has been found guilty.

He was charged with sexually assaulting a French female scientist inside a tent at the Byers Peninsula base camp, located on the west side of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, during an Antarctic expedition in 2019.

The two were reportedly colleagues who had already known each other from previous research projects.

The southern Magallanes prosecutor’s office in Chile stated that he "committed the crime by taking advantage of the extremely harsh and desolate environment."

In a press release, the Chilean court said, "The credible evidence submitted by the prosecution during the trial was sufficient to overturn the presumption of innocence in this case and unequivocally prove the defendant's illegal conduct."

The sentencing for this man is scheduled for October 3. Under current Chilean law, those convicted of rape face a minimum of 3 years and up to 15 years in prison.

Meanwhile, sexual crimes have been a persistent issue at Antarctic research bases. According to a report released by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in July, more than 40% of respondents who recently participated in Antarctic research expeditions reported experiencing sexual assault or harassment.

In a previous survey conducted by the NSF from 2018 to 2020 among scientists and support staff working at U.S. research bases in Antarctica, 72% of female respondents and 48% of male respondents identified sexual harassment as a community problem. Regarding sexual assault, 47% of women and 33% of men cited it as an issue. One respondent testified, "Every woman who was in Antarctica experienced sexual harassment or assault."

Another report released by the Australian Antarctic Division in 2022 also documented various cases, including sexual harassment, unwanted physical contact, sharing of pornography, and sexist jokes.