At least three cases of sexual harassment against students by lecturers at Thammasat University have been reported over the past decade, according to a seminar on sexual harassment at universities yesterday. Malee Pruekpongsawalee, chairwoman of Thammasat University's Women and Youth Studies Programme, said there had been serious cases of sexual harassment prior to last month's scandal involving an engineering lecturer at the Rangsit campus.

However, the university had failed to provide an effective mechanism for dealing with the cases, she said.

Last month, Kamthorn Cherdchukiat, 33, an engineering lecturer, was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a female student. The student said he approached her and offered her a good grade if she would agree to perform oral sex.

Ms Malee said one female student from the journalism and mass communication faculty had filed a complaint against a lecturer at the political science faculty who she said offered her a good grade if she agreed to masturbate him.

The student refused and sought punishment for the lecturer. He was later placed under disciplinary investigation and dismissed.

Another case involved a well-known male lecturer who asked a female student out and raped her in a car. She became pregnant and brought the matter to court.

Ms Malee said the lecturer was investigated and eventually fired.

According to Ms Malee, sexual harassment came in other forms, including verbal harassment.

''The university provides no effective mechanism for tackling sexual harassment. In foreign universities, there is a centre to accept complaints about sexual abuse as student welfare is treated as a top priority,'' she said.

Anuthee Detthewaporn, vice-president for external activities of Thammasat University's student union, suggested evaluations of students' performance by lecturers be kept in check.

''There should be a mechanism to keep tabs on the lecturers' grading so that no one uses the grades to sexually exploit the students,'' he said.

The Nation - 8 May 2008