The way in which the education ministry hierarchy protected one of their officials accused by two female subordinates of sexual harassment is scandalous. The first complaint was submitted in May 2023, but instead of suspending the man and investigating, the ministry hierarchy gave him a promotion!

There was a ‘disciplinary’ investigation of the allegations carried out internally, but its findings, which concluded that no offence had been committed, were kept secret. In fact, the ministry has refused to hand over the file of the case to the ombudswoman, who had asked for it in writing in November last year.

The ministry claims the case file was never handed over because the contents of the investigation were confidential. It had asked the opinion of the Legal Service – as to whether it was obliged to give the file to the ombudswoman – and had still not received a reply. Had the ministry asked for the legal opinion, and if it had, why had it not received it, 10 months after it was requested?

The case smacks of a cover-up, bureaucrats using all the obstructive and delaying tactics available to protect one of their own. How would any woman who had been targeted by the official pursue a case against him after seeing that nobody at the ministry was taking the complaints seriously? This was confirmed by the internal disciplinary investigation, which found that no offence had been committed, but the ministry obdurately refused to give it to the ombudswoman on the pretext that it was confidential.

MP Alexandra Attalides said there was a big issue with delays, red tape and long-winded procedures when such allegations are being investigated at the ministry. Consequently, she said, there was a need to consider a change of the legislation “so that complaints of sexual harassment, which constitutes criminal offence, are investigated by independent agencies, such as the ombudsperson, people who have no involvement with ministries and the public service.” This, she added, was the only way to “avoid delays that exhaust the victims to such an extent that they are forced to withdraw the complaint.”

This was the way the mandarins of the education ministry protected the official, claiming that everything was done according to the book. It was not. If anything, they all protected the official, who faces criminal charges in connection with another case of sexual harassment filed by a woman not employed at the education ministry.

Astonishingly, education ministry officials have accused deputies, who have taken up the matter, of engaging in populism. In the end, it seems that some populism and noise in the media is necessary to give smug civil servants a jolt and remind them that they are also accountable. If there was no publicity and the matter had not been submitted for discussion at the human rights committee by Attalides it would have been forgotten just as the anti-populism mandarins of the education ministry had planned.