Hebrew University Professor's Sexual Harassment Conviction Upheld After Student's Death

The Hebrew University's special tribunal for the prevention of sexual harassment has rejected an appeal by Professor Karim Alexander Adiprasito, who was convicted of sexually harassing and assaulting a doctoral student he supervised, Johanna Christina Steinmeier. The ruling, published Wednesday, comes after Steinmeier's death, before the disciplinary proceedings were fully concluded. The tribunal emphasized that it had no information linking her death to the case.

Adiprasito, a 38-year-old German national, has since left Israel and reportedly holds senior academic positions in France. The appeals court upheld both the conviction and the penalty of two months' gross salary as compensation. The court deemed this financial penalty "relatively lenient given the severity of the acts and offenses."

Steinmeier, who was 21 when she began her doctorate under Adiprasito in 2018, died after giving her testimony but before the case was finalized. She had filed a complaint in November 2023, detailing incidents between 2021 and 2023. The disciplinary court found significant power imbalances between the professor and student, noting that they shared a bed dozens of times during joint trips to Paris, a situation Steinmeier initially resisted but eventually succumbed to, as she stated in her testimony.

Adiprasito's appeal argued factual errors, mistranslated communications, and insufficient weight given to his evidence. The appeals court dismissed these claims, finding the initial ruling thoroughly analyzed the evidence and that no miscarriage of justice occurred. The court also rejected Adiprasito's attempt to introduce new evidence at the appeal stage, stating that Steinmeier's death prevented her from responding to new claims.

The ruling stressed Adiprasito's "full responsibility" for the "unhealthy and damaging relationship" due to his position of authority. The court also criticized the professor's appeal process, describing some of his requests as "frivolous proceedings aimed at making the court's work difficult." The tribunal concluded by expressing sorrow for Steinmeier's untimely death, wishing "her memory be blessed."