Belgian protest against ruling in Sanda Dia case
Last week, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Belgian cities to protest the ruling in the Sanda Dia case. They consider the sentences far too light and demand that the perpetrators at least be given a criminal record.
The Antwerp court recently ruled that 18 members of the Leuven student association Reuzegom be given 200-300 hour work sentences and pay fines of around €400. Several thousand euros in damages were also imposed, although this was lost in most news coverage.
During the 2018 hazing, 20-year-old prospective member Sanda Dia was forced to swallow goldfish, eat ground mice, drink large amounts of fish sauce, and sit in a pit of ice-cold water. He later died in the hospital.
Criminal record
Hundreds of Belgians had already taken to the streets in protest in Leuven, Antwerp, and Brussels last week. This weekend the protest swelled to 1,500 demonstrators in Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges, reports Belgian broadcaster VRT. They object to the sentence and believe that those convicted should at least receive a criminal record.
They argue that this is a case of class justice and racism. Unlike the usual members of the association, Dia did not come from an influential and wealthy family. Racist motives did not come up in the trial.
The victim’s Senegalese father, Ousmane Dia, told weekly HUMO that in his opinion discrimination played a role. “With Sanda, the elite student club Reuzegom got someone who did not add any value to their world. His father was not a member of the elite, with no social standing. Sanda was too little for them.”
He called the ruling a slap in the face. “Sanda didn’t get the respect he deserved.” He also took issue with the Catholic University of Leuven’s actions. The rector allegedly failed to find out what had happened and hold members accountable. The university administration responded earlier in Het Nieuwsblad that it did not have the authority to investigate an association not affiliated with the institution. However, the Catholic University of Leuven is currently investigating whether disciplinary procedures should be adjusted.
Names
Protesters also felt that Belgian media should have made the names of members public. They chanted the names and had name tags made. A vlogger who also participated in the demonstrations earlier caused a stir by sharing the names and backgrounds of four Reuzegom members on his YouTube channel.
One of the members’ lawyers speaks of a witch hunt and believes the vlogger is taking the law into his own hands. The editors of daily HLN devoted an editorial to it.
