The teacher of the Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema and Television and director Andriy Bilous reacted for the first time to accusations of sexual harassment of female students. In response to the inquiries of Hromadskyi journalists, he confirmed that he had submitted a report to the police, which is currently investigating the case. At the same time, Bilous refused to comment on the situation in more detail while the investigation continues.
"I filed a complaint with the police, they are dealing with it. I do not comment while the investigation is ongoing," he said in a short message via messenger.
The accusations against the teacher came after several former students of the university came forward with allegations of sexual harassment by Bilous. One of the girls described an incident when a teacher invited her to his office, where unacceptable physical and emotional violence took place between them. Another student said that Bilous demanded intimate photos from her and imposed a relationship that exceeded the limits of what was permissible.
The allegations began to emerge after 23-year-old student Sofia Sapozhnik first reported the harassment, which took place in 2020. She also talked about other offers from Bilous that were sexual in nature.
The management of the university said that it has contacted the police to verify this information. Meanwhile, the university has received no complaints from students about Bilous' actions, raising further questions about the internal audit and the administration's actions.
The initiative group of students and graduates continues to collect evidence and intends to file a report with the police to defend the rights of the victims.
