{"id":155910,"date":"2023-06-07T13:33:04","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T11:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=155910"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:49","slug":"belgian-protest-against-ruling-in-sanda-dia-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/06\/07\/belgian-protest-against-ruling-in-sanda-dia-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgian protest against ruling in Sanda Dia case"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Belgian cities last week to protest against the ruling in the Sanda Dia case. They believe the punishments are far too lenient and demand that the perpetrators should at least end up with a criminal record.<\/p>\n

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Een groepsfoto van Reuzegom van voor de opheffing.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReuzegom<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Eighteen members of the KU Leuven student association Reuzegom have been sentenced to perform two hundred to three hundred hours of community service and pay<\/a> fines of around 400 euros, according to the court of Antwerp\u2019s recent decision<\/a>. Several thousand euros in damages have also been imposed<\/a>, although this has gone unmentioned in most reports.<\/p>\n

During hazing activities in 2018, twenty-year-old aspiring member Sanda Dia was forced to swallow live goldfish, eat ground mouse, drink large amounts of fish sauce and sit in a pit filled with icy water. He later died in hospital.<\/p>\n

Criminal record <\/h2>

Hundreds of Belgians took to the streets out of discontent last week in Leuven, Antwerp and Brussels. This weekend, the protest grew to 1,500 demonstrators in Brussels, Ghent and Bruges, according to reports<\/a> by Belgian broadcaster VRT<\/em>. The demonstrators disagree with the punishments imposed and believe that the perpetrators should at least end up with a criminal record.<\/p>\n

In their view, the verdict reflects class justice and racism. Unlike typical members within the association, Dia did not come from a wealthy and influential family. Racist motives<\/a> were not discussed during the court proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\t

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