Mayor of Groningen under fire for ‘only talking’ to Student Associations following Albertus Magnus hazing injuries

The Koen Schuiling is “not amused” that Student Associations keep causing injuries to new recruits with brutal hazing rituals

After several years, tens of reports, several ‘agreements’ between the University, Student Associations, the City of Groningen; the continuing trend of Groninger Student Associations causing (sometimes greivous) injuries to new recruits during their weird hazing rituals continues unabated.

So, Mayor Koen Schuiling of Groningen will now rouse himself to action. The Mayor will have a series of conversations with the erstwhile Student Associations (Vindicat, Albertus Magnus, etc, etc) about their responsibilities and previous commitments not to cause injuries to new recruits through hazing. As reported by OOGTV.

The reason for the Mayor’s sudden decision to act is an incident at Albertus Magnus, where four students fainted during a hazing ritual, and at least 25 students became unwell. Apparently, the eager new members of the frat were asked to crouch in a stress position for up to 20 minutes.

The Mayor says he heard the news through media coverage, and is not happy about that. Schuiling says instead that Albertus Magnus should have actively informed the City Council about what had happened.

Pressure from the left

Following the reports in the media, the political parties of GroenLinks and the SP had asked the City Council for clarification. Schuiling indicates that he has been in contact with the University during the past week and that he has also spoken with the board of Albertus Magnus.

Party chairman Jimmy Dijk of the SP says that every time this topic is discussed the same answers are given. The SP also does not see drinking cups of coffee with associations as the solution.

“I think the mayor’s answers are really too short, it’s too little. We would like to hear a strong judgment from him. Associations tell a nice story and promise to get better, but nothing happens,” says Dijk.

Kirsten de Wrede, of the Partij voor de Dieren, believes that what happened to Albertus Magnus is not an incident, but that it is part of a sick culture.

Schuiling says that he wants to learn more about what exactly happened. However, the mayor makes it clear that physical intimidation does not belong in an introduction. “I don’t want that in this community, and that’s why I do much more than just drink cups of coffee,” says Schuiling.

Photo by Neal E. Johnson on Unsplash