"The Cancellation of Boaventura de Sousa Santos: Lynching Without a Court Sentence" by Bea Talegón

In 2023, a book on sexual misconduct in academia included a chapter recounting alleged cases of abuse at the Center for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra. Although the text did not name names, sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos was soon linked. This was compounded by Mapuche activist Moira Millán's public denunciation of an assault that allegedly occurred in 2010.

The institutional reaction was swift: universities severed relations, canceled collaborations, and suspended honorary doctorates. The publisher withdrew the controversial chapter. All of this occurred before any court rulings or trials could confirm the accusations. An internal CES commission concluded that there was insufficient evidence to attribute individual culpability. However, the damage to Boaventura's reputation was already irreversible, revealing a clear imbalance between public opinion and formal justice.

The case raises questions about the presumption of innocence, institutional accountability, and the limits of cancel culture. It's a reminder that reporting abuse is vital, but destroying reputations without clear defense mechanisms can cause irreparable damage.

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