What exactly happened is yet to be determined. However, Dagblad van het Noorden and the local outlet Sikkom report that ten first-year students from a fraternity sustained burns to their faces. Sources within the association told the media that these were actually branding incidents.
The student association Vindicat has faced criticism in the past due to misconduct among its members. Previously, issues included severe hazing, sexism, and other misconduct. Just this spring, the association suspended eighty members following vandalism during a ski trip.
'Completely unacceptable and abhorrent'
The association has confirmed to Sikkom that first-degree burns were sustained, but it does not confirm if these indeed qualify as branding. The chair advised the victims to report the incident to the police.
The Mayor of Groningen, Mirjam van ‘t Veld, has not ruled anything out: “If it turns out that people have indeed been branded, that is completely unacceptable and abhorrent. I expect appropriate measures to be taken in that case.”
