Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin describes two years of harassment by UCD professor

Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin said she hopes her story will draw attention to the harassment of female university academics and students on university campuses in Ireland. Picture Nick Bradshaw

Broadcaster and lecturer Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin is being praised for speaking out about her personal experience of sexual harassment at UCD.

Dr Ní Shúilleabháin, who is an assistant professor in UCD, described the ordeal an in-depth interview in today’s Irish Times.

She detailed a number of interactions between herself and a male professor over a two-year period between 2015 and 2017. 

Prof Hans-Benjamin Braun, 58, was charged with harassment late last year and barred from contacting Dr Ní Shúilleabháin for five years.

At one point in those two years, he turned up at a hotel in Cork after seeing on social media that Dr Ní Shúilleabháin was on a weekend break with female friends. He was removed by gardaí from the hotel twice, on two consecutive days, and Dr Ní Shúilleabháin received a Garda escort out of Co Cork.

Dr Ní Shúilleabháin said the Cork incident "was just incredibly stressful ... The whole weekend was."

She said the experience left her living in fear and she hopes her story will draw attention to the harassment of female university academics and students on university campuses in Ireland. 

The National Women's Council (NWC) said speaking out about her two-year ordeal puts a spotlight on shortcomings that still remain across the sector.

"Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin’s experience shows the deep and significant impact sexual harassment has on every aspect of a person’s life," said Director, Orla O’Connor. 

It highlights how this trauma can be compounded by the response from an institution that does not fully recognise the seriousness of the issue and its responsibility to offer adequate protection to the victim.

The NWC is now calling for urgent action by all third level institutions to ensure both staff and students can be safe on campus.

"Where an incident occurs, we crucially need to have in place clear policies and procedures that follow best practice in this area and ensure the victim is supported and protected at all times," Ms O'Connor said.

"While progress has been made in many universities and colleges in this regard in relation to students, we now need a comprehensive approach that encompasses all staff and is recognised and reinforced through the governance structures of the institutions. We call on all third level institutes to prioritise the full implementation of the 'National Framework’ on sexual harassment and violence for higher and further education."