A German professor has been forced to apologise after refusing to accept a male Indian student because of the country’s “rape problem”.
Annette Beck-Sickinger, a biochemistry professor at Leipzig University, told the student that many women professors in Germany had also decided they would not accept Indian men.
“Dear Sir, Unfortunately I don’t accept any Indian male students for internships,” she wrote in an email. “We hear a lot about the rape problem in India, which I cannot support. I have many female students in my group, so I think this attitude is something I cannot support.”
In another email to the student, Dr Beck-Sickinger wrote: “Many female professors in Germany decided to no longer accept Indian male students for these reasons, and currently other European female associations are joining.”
The exchange, including the student’s response seeking an explanation for her “hurtful words” and “painful generalisations”, sparked fury in India after it went viral on social media.
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Germany’s ambassador to India sought to limit the damage by denouncing the remarks. Michael Steiner said he “strongly objected” to the comments which were an insult to “millions of law-abiding, tolerant, open-minded and hard-working Indians”. He said: “Let’s be clear: India is not a country of rapists.”
The simplistic image of India suggested in the rejection email was, “in my opinion, particularly unsuitable for a professor and teacher”.
In a statementon the German embassy’s website, Dr Beck-Sickinger wrote : “I have made a mistake. I sincerely apologise to everyone whose feelings I have hurt.”
The email exchange, which was widely shared on social media, came amid growing anguish over the treatment of women in India. Many Indians are furious that the government has banned a BBC documentary about the December 2012 gang-rape and killing of a student in Delhi.
Meryl Streep, and Freida Pinto, the star of Slumdog Millionaire, attended the American premiere of the BBC film on Monday night at Baruch College in New York. Streep lit candles honouring the murdered woman, “to honour Jyoti Singh’s short, promising life.”