Sex scandal resignations hit Nobel Prize-giving body

THREE prominent members of the Swedish Academy resigned yesterday in protest at close ties between the institution, which awards the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a high-profile man accused of sexual assault.

The academy has been reeling since it was revealed as part of the #Metoo campaign in November that several members, as well as members’ wives and daughters, had allegedly been assaulted by the well-known figure at the centre of the scandal.

Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter newspaper broke the news, publishing the testimony of 18 women claiming to have been assaulted or raped by one of the most influential figures in Stockholm’s cultural scene. The academy has since cut all ties with the man, who has not been publicly identified. But his identity is widely known by the public due to his high profile in cultural circles.

The alleged sexual assaults occurred between 1996 and 2017, according to the newspaper.

Peter Englund, one of the resigning members said the scandal had deeply divided the Swedish literary world. “Over time, a crack that appeared has continued to grow,” he said in a letter to the Aftonbladet newspaper, adding that Sara Danius, the academy’s permanent secretary had been subject to “unjustified” criticism.

Along with Englund, members Klas Ostergren and Kjell Espmark decided to step down after a meeting of the

‘When prominent members put friendship ahead of responsibility and integrity, I can no longer participate’

group on Thursday. “When prominent academy members put friendship ahead of responsibility and integrity, I can no longer participate in its work,” Espmark wrote in a letter to the media.

In March, Stockholm’s public prosecutor’s office announced that part of the investigation, into claims of alleged rapes and assaults between 2013 and 2015, had been called off as the statute of limitation had passed or due to lack of evidence.