41 cadets were punished after reporting behavior that could constitute harassment. Nine will repeat the year and seven were expelled and sentenced to pay compensation of around 40 thousand euros.
The story is told by . The reprisals began after a group of 2nd year students of the “Nicolau Coelho” course denounced the “inappropriate behavior” of the teacher and director of the Sea and Atmosphere I course, at the end of the 2024/25 academic year.
The “Teaching Quality Questionnaire” is individual and anonymous. However, not even this prevented the opening of disciplinary proceedings and the indictment of the 41 cadets. Without knowing who wrote what, they were all punished.
They were punished with the loss of vacation days and were imprisoned on board the NRP Sagres training ship, on the “instruction trip”, carried out to Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
The law says that “the complainant and the witnesses appointed by him cannot be subject to disciplinary sanctions”.
However, the Ministry of Defense told 24notícias that “the Navy protects whistleblowers in accordance with the law, not applying any punishment for acts of reporting, unless proven fraud“.
“In this specific case, accountability occurred, once the existence of false allegations“, he adds.
41 cadets were therefore accused and punished for “disrespecting the teacher by lightly associating involuntary and unconscious acts inappropriate behavior.”
According to the same website, the cadets signed the note of guilt by order of the Student Corps commander. I.e, will have been coerced to do so, fearing stronger reprisals.
The penalty of detention on the ship for ten days for the 41 students it was not the only punishment. Nine cadets are forced to repeat the year and seven were expelled and are ordered to pay compensation to the Naval Academy, which can come close to 40 thousand euros.
The amount is used to reimburse the amounts spent on the student, such as wages, accommodation, food, academic and military training, uniforms, travel and boarding.
“Involuntary and unconscious acts”
The commander of the Naval Academy defined what the cadets described as “involuntary and unconscious acts” as “movements made with the tongueentire classes given glued to the desk of female cadets, or systematically soiled pants with chalk in the fly area“.
An Navy source said the retired officer is considered “very intelligent,” but “moody, with a hallucinated air”which may have led to misunderstandings.
Many students do not speak up for fear of retaliation.. Others claim to have acted fairly and are not afraid to face the courts.
