Scandal threats prestige of the Nobel Academy

Jan M. Olsen
COPENHAGEN, Denmark.- An investigation into sexual misconduct allegations at the Swedish body that hands out the coveted Nobel Prize in Literature found Friday that “unacceptable behavior in the form of unwanted intimacy” has taken place within the ranks of the prestigious institution.

The secretive 18-member board has in recent weeks been embroiled in a sex-abuse scandal that investigators concluded was “not generally known.” It has led to the departure of six of members of the Academy and tarnished the prize’s reputation.

Sweden’s prime minister, the King and the Nobel board have all expressed their concerns over a scandal that has sparked outrage in the Scandinavian nation, known for promoting gender equality. On Thursday, thousands gathered outside the Swedish Academy to demand that all of its remaining members resign.

The academy commissioned lawyers to investigate sexual misconduct claims from 18 women against Jean-Claude Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden who is married to poet and academy member, Katarina Frostenson.