This is how companies fail in dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace

Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Berlin “First he tried to kiss me on the mouth by trying to pull my head towards him and put his head closer to me, but luckily I was able to fend it off. Then he grabbed my privates with his hands, then my breasts, under my shirt, under my bra. I was frozen and shocked. I told him not to do that and said no, but he was like, ‘No, let me. You have beautiful breasts.’ I tried to get his hands off and managed to get away from him […]”

Leila Martins* reported this and two other incidents with her colleague to the compliance system of the Mercedes-Benz Group. But the case petered out – without consequences for the accused. Such compliance systems should actually process cases and deter perpetrators. But reality shows that the procedures often protect the accused and leave those affected alone.