In Serbian Academia, a Flawed Fight against ‘Tradition’ of Sexual Harassment

Three professors attended. After one left, "seeing where the evening was heading," another grabbed her knee under the table, said Elena. The third, kissing and licking her hand, asked her for sex. In return, he said he would allow her fellow students to complete the course he had expelled them from because of their participation in the protests.

Pursuit of justice

The trial of prominent Serbian drama teacher Miroslav 'Mika' Aleksic began in February. He is charged with multiple counts of rape and illicit sexual acts against seven women, all members of an acting group he taught. Aleksic denies any wrongdoing.

In July last year, prosecutors dismissed a criminal complaint filed by actress Danijela Stajnfeld against famous Serbian actor and politician Branislav Lecic, accusing him of rape in 2012.

Elena refused. But with little trust in the university authorities and fearing for the rest of her studies, she decided not to report the incident. "All I could see was how much they protected each other," Elena told BIRN. "Imagine an old predator starting on you in some dive - well that's what it looked like, only the predators are your professors."

That was 2014. The episode left a deep scar. Angry, disappointed, and disgusted, Elena is still to graduate.

Seven years later, in 2021, Serbia had its #MeToo moment - victims went public with allegations of sexual harassment and rape in the arts and at a number of prestigious educational institutions. The accused included several prominent figures in Serbian society.

The University of Belgrade responded, publishing a 'rulebook' to protect students from sexual harassment and setting out procedures under which they might safely report abuse. The...