Dili, November 6, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The legal and social consultancy organization Juridiku Sosial Konsultoria (JU,S) issued a press release updating the public on the decision made by the Public Function Commission (KFP) on September 5, 2025, regarding disciplinary action against two school principals from Nicolau Lobato Secondary School and 5 de Maio School, both implicated in cases of sexual harassment. The KFP sanctioned the principals with a written reprimand, referred to as a “call to attention.”
JU,S spokesperson Neolanda Fernandes stated that the purpose of the press release was to inform the public about the developments in the sexual harassment case involving public officials serving as school directors.
“In September this year, the Public Function Commission, through its Disciplinary Commissioner, concluded its investigation into the case of sexual harassment that occurred at the school. The decision recognized that the public official indeed committed acts of sexual harassment against his student. The sanction imposed was a written reprimand or ‘call to attention,’” said JU,S spokesperson Neolanda Fernandes.
She explained that the case involved multiple instances of sexual harassment committed by the school director against a female student. The director allegedly made sexual advances, offered money in exchange for sexual activity, and engaged in other inappropriate sexual behavior during school hours.
“JU,S, representing the student and her family, acknowledges the KFP’s efforts to conduct a serious investigation and to collect information objectively, ultimately recognizing that the official had violated his duties. We understand that investigating sexual harassment cases requires specific expertise, especially given the challenges of limited direct witnesses or documented evidence,” Fernandes added.
According to Fernandes, JU,S considers that the disciplinary process was carried out within a reasonable time frame, as it began in March and concluded in September. She congratulated the KFP for demonstrating technical capacity in conducting a targeted investigation into a sexual harassment case within six months.
“The law and regulations clearly prohibit any public official from engaging in sexual harassment. In this case, the official was not only a public servant but also a teacher, and his actions were directed at his own student, acts that infringed on the student’s freedom and constituted sexual abuse within the school environment,” said Fernandes.
However, Fernandes emphasized that JU,S believes the disciplinary decision does not reflect the gravity of the misconduct. Under the Public Function Statute and the Teachers’ Disciplinary Regulation, sexual harassment is classified as a serious offense.
“A ‘written reprimand’ is a sanction for a minor offense. However, under the Statute, suspension or dismissal applies to serious violations of public duty. Moreover, the Teachers’ Disciplinary Regulation explicitly categorizes sexual harassment by teachers in a school environment as a serious offense, not a minor one,” Fernandes reaffirmed.
She further noted that, based on JU,S’s review of the KFP’s previous decisions, the sanction in this case does not reflect the severity of the sexual harassment.
“It’s time to impose sanctions that truly reflect the seriousness of sexual harassment within the public service, especially by those in positions of authority. Therefore, JU,S has requested access to the disciplinary case documents in accordance with the right to information and has submitted an appeal to the Public Function Commission’s collective body for reconsideration of the disciplinary decision,” Fernandes explained.
She concluded by expressing JU,S’s continued confidence in the KFP to handle disciplinary cases involving allegations of sexual harassment seriously and in accordance with existing procedures.
Meanwhile, JU,S lawyer Maria Agnes Bere stated that JU,S deeply regretted the KFP’s decision to issue only a written reprimand to the perpetrator, emphasizing that this outcome contradicts both the disciplinary procedures and the Guidelines on Sexual Harassment in Public Service (Regulation No. 12/2017), which define such acts as serious violations.
“JU,S calls on the KFP to reconsider its decision and re-evaluate the appeal in line with the existing sexual harassment guidelines, which clearly distinguish between minor, moderate, and serious offenses,” Bere said.
She added that JU,S’s appeal is currently under hierarchical review by the KFP, involving its commissioners and president.
“Given the gravity of the acts committed, JU,S has not only filed an administrative appeal but has also reported the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for criminal proceedings,” she affirmed.
Bere also confirmed that the victims have returned to school following the perpetrators’ provisional suspension. However, JU,S has communicated with the school and submitted a formal letter to the Ministry of Education, rejecting any attempt to reinstate the two directors to their teaching positions at the same school.
Report by: Domingas
Photo by: Domingas