{"id":25452,"date":"2023-06-03T03:51:04","date_gmt":"2023-06-03T07:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=25452"},"modified":"2023-06-03T03:51:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-03T07:51:04","slug":"belgium-anger-at-verdict-over-black-students-hazing-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2023\/06\/03\/belgium-anger-at-verdict-over-black-students-hazing-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium: Anger at verdict over black student’s hazing death"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The death of black Belgian student Sanda Dia shocked Dutch-speaking Flanders in 2018.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Warning: Some readers may find some of the details in this article upsetting.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The 20-year-old student was made to drink excessive amounts of fish oil and alcohol, made to swallow a live goldfish, and forced to stand outside in an icy pit as part of a hazing ritual for an elite fraternity at one of Belgium’s most prestigious universities,\u00a0court documents say<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Hazing – the practice of putting someone in physical or emotional distress – was part of the process aspiring members of Reuzegom had to go through to gain entry to the fraternity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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During the initiation, Mr Dia collapsed and was taken to hospital. He died there two days later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A coroner’s report would find that toxic salt levels caused by the excessive consumption of fish oil was a leading cause in his death.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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More than four years on, 18 students have been sentenced to up to 300 hours of community service and a \u20ac400 ($430; \u00a3340) fine each after being found guilty in their role in Mr Dia’s involuntary death and degrading treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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They have also been ordered to pay damages to Mr Dia’s family, as well as to two others who were also subjected to the hazing initiation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The court ruled that the students – members of the now-disbanded Reuzegom, whose members were traditionally associated with some of Belgian society’s elites – were not guilty of intentionally administering harmful substance causing death or illness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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However suggestions that race and class played a part in the treatment Mr Dia was subjected to during the hazing have sparked discussion since his death – particularly among young people on social media and in student circles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Allegations of racism within the Reuzegom fraternity appeared in Belgian media, including that Mr Dia was subjected to a racial slur and singled out to clean on behalf of Reuzegom members on a separate occasion because of his race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Other local media reports have claimed some of Reuzegom’s members were the sons of politicians and judges – pointing to their privileged positions in society.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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With this in mind, some Belgians have reacted to the verdict with indignation, viewing the sentencings as overly lenient.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A silent protest was held in front of Antwerp’s court of appeal on 27 May (Image: AFP)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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On TikTok, the hashtag #justiceforsanda has gained more than 6.5m views.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Protests have also taken place in the cities of Antwerp, Brussels, Gent and Leuven – the university city where Mr Dia studied. Another has been organised in Brussels on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Everybody is just angry and disappointed in the Belgian justice system,” Eliza Plesea, a 22-year-old student and Brussels protest co-organiser, told the BBC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Speaking about the sentencings, she said, “In Belgium, if you take the bus but you don’t have a ticket… you get a higher fine for that” than what the students involved in hazing received.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Following the court ruling, one of the students’ defence lawyers, John Maes, described the sentencings as “balanced and well reasoned”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But protest organiser and student Jean Kitenge, 25, feels race “definitely” played a part in Mr Dia’s death.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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