A university collected and then leaked the “virginity status” of 190 female students.
A scandal has engulfed the Al-Farabi National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as confidential data involving female students was published on WhatsApp. This includes the names, ages, phone numbers and even tax codes of the victims.
Within minutes of going live, it was disseminated in multiple social media groups connected to the university.
While it has already been deleted from some places, men are asking “Who has the list?” on Almaty Telegram chats.
One man wrote: “I don’t know, but if you find it, share it here.”
It remains unclear why doctors collected the information in the first place, or if the gynaecological examinations at the university’s medical centre were compulsory.
Women have been complaining about the incident and the repercussions they are suffering.
One woman wrote: “Our personal data is hanging on every lamp post.”
Another hit out: “In Kazakhstan, there is no concept of personal space and privacy at all.”
The release has been blasted as “a violation”.
Sayasat Nurbek, Kazakhstan’s minister of science and higher education, who has been forced to intervene, said: “The transfer of personal information, especially of a medical nature, is a violation.
“I have taken control of this issue because there is a direct violation here.
“Those responsible will face punishment under our current legislation.”
Initial reports say the virginity status of at least 190 students has been leaked and can be viewed by their teachers and other students. The leaked data includes the results of an examination with a gynaecologist, noting whether the patient was a virgin, it was reported.
“The documents were instantly distributed across all university chats,” said one news outlet.
An alarm was raised only when the data reached officials at the head office of the university.
