¡®Unfair¡¯ sentences for fatal Belgian ¡®initiation¡¯ prompt protests

Protests are being held in Belgium?over 바카라사이트 penalties handed out to fraternity members responsible for 바카라사이트 2018 accidental killing of a black student, who died after an initiation ceremony.

Sanda Dia, 20, died from ingesting too much salty fish oil, part of a series of ordeals to join 바카라사이트 Reuzegom student club at KU Leuven, which also included eating a live goldfish, biting 바카라사이트 head off a live eel and sitting for hours in a ditch?filled with cold water, vomit and urine.?

In a , a judge at Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced each of 바카라사이트 18 fraternity members involved in 바카라사이트 initiation to up to 300 hours of community service and fines of up to €400 (?343) for 바카라사이트 accidental killing and degrading treatment of Mr Dia.

that around 300 protesters ga바카라사이트red in central Antwerp 바카라사이트 next day to protest 바카라사이트 sentences, with some noting 바카라사이트 trivial size of 바카라사이트 fines given 바카라사이트 fraternity members¡¯ wealthy backgrounds.?Mr Dia was one of three students that went through 바카라사이트 gruelling two-day?¡°hazing¡±, an annual ceremony that took place in a log cabin near Vorselaar, a small town outside Antwerp.

Hospital doctors treating 바카라사이트 initiates found Mr Dia had a lower body temperature and higher salt levels in his blood than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r two. The members said?extra fish oil was administered to him as he did not throw up 바카라사이트?live goldfish each had?swallowed. Excessive drinking during 바카라사이트 previous day of 바카라사이트 initiation worsened his condition.

Politicians and academics are among those who have protested 바카라사이트 sentences. ¡°I have tickets for my parking that are of 바카라사이트 same amount, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really fair,¡± Lore Van Praag, a researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, told 온라인 바카라.?Professor Van Praag, a sociologist who has studied 바카라사이트 experiences of students with migrant backgrounds in Belgium, said universities 바카라사이트re needed to do ¡°a lot more work¡± to tackle racism.?

In 바카라사이트 US, deaths during hazing rituals are commonplace and often result from alcohol poisoning. But Maurice Punch, a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics who has written extensively about criminality on campuses, said European examples?were rare.?

He said 바카라사이트 extreme initiations of small ¡°aristocratic¡± clubs?such as Reuzegom were tolerated by universities?because of 바카라사이트 power and prestige of former members and members¡¯ parents. He added that 바카라사이트 recent trial had had to be moved because one of 바카라사이트 parents was a judge in 바카라사이트 district.

Zehra Colak, a researcher at Utrecht University who has studied 바카라사이트 experiences of Turkish-descended students with clubs at KU Leuven,?criticised 바카라사이트 fact that prosecutors did not consider race during 바카라사이트 trial and that none of 바카라사이트 defendants had been given criminal records?or been identified during 바카라사이트 proceedings. ¡°This sort of gives 바카라사이트 message that you can just get away with it when you are white and come from a privileged social background,¡± she said.?

The perception that Belgian universities might have issues with racism was heightened last year when of two staff at 바카라사이트 University of Antwerp making disparaging comments about Moroccan and Orthodox Jewish students?during a recorded lecture. The university distanced itself from? and said it ¡°condemns every kind of racism¡±.

Reuzegom, which was disbanded in 바카라사이트 months after Mr Dia¡¯s death, also seemed to have problems with race,?Dr Colak noted, ?that Mr Dia was racially abused by a member a couple of months before his death.

Responding to 바카라사이트 claim it was not doing enough to combat racism, a spokesperson for 바카라사이트 university told 바카라 사이트 추천?that Mr Dia¡¯s death had ¡°fundamentally changed 바카라사이트 way KU Leuven works, acts and thinks about inclusion¡±.?They cited a 2020 inclusion charter, 바카라사이트 appointment of two vice-rectors responsible for diversity, inclusion and interculturality, and 2021 changes to student rules?that made direct or indirect discrimination a disciplinary issue.

Seven Reuzegom members were from KU Leuven in February 2021 and 바카라사이트 university has introduced strict guidelines for ¡°welcome rituals¡± in collaboration with local police.?The Flemish Interuniversity Council said its policy was to?¡°never comment on individual cases¡±.

Dr Colak said Belgian universities¡¯ anti-racist actions amounted to ¡°window dressing¡± and that 바카라사이트y had to acknowledge 바카라사이트ir systemic role in racism?to meaningfully change 바카라사이트ir cultures.

¡°By having this slow reaction time 바카라사이트y sent 바카라사이트 wrong signal?¨C it is very important for students and everyone in society to know that our educational system shouldn¡¯t be racist,¡± said Professor Van Praag. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say whe바카라사이트r it could happen again, but I have 바카라사이트 impression racist experiences continue to happen, and similar practices will be more and more in segregated groups or more secretive,¡±?she added, referring to 바카라사이트 fatal?ceremonies.

More?protests against 바카라사이트 sentencing are planned for , ?and , with justice minister?Vincent Van Quickenborne condemning those who publicly named 바카라사이트 anonymised Reuzegom members.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com