Utrecht student assoc. under fire for sexist "girl presentation", members suspended

Members of the Utrecht Student Corps (USC) have been suspended indefinitely with immediate effect because members of the female student association UVSV were "discussed on the basis of their appearance" in a sexist PowerPoint presentation called the “bangalist”, the USC reported. The association said it distances itself from "this disgusting action" and called it "shameful".

Banga is slang for slut. According to the police, young people send each other lists via email and social media with the top 10 of the girls they think are the biggest sluts. Often the girl on such a list is given an additional description of how "easy" it is to get her for sex-related things. For example, comments such as "does it for a drink" or "sends nude photos" are often noted.

However, it is not clear from a statement on the USC website what exactly was discussed in the presentation that has been doing the rounds on social media. According to RTV Utrecht, around 30 female students were judged on their sexual performance. The regional broadcaster reported that photos of the women were shown, many of which included their addresses and telephone numbers.

According to USC, the incident was reported to Utrecht University, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and the city of Utrecht. The unknown number of suspended students will also not be allowed to go on a planned ski trip. "As soon as we have a better picture of the situation and know who played what role, we can impose a final penalty. There is no doubt that it will be a very severe punishment given the suffering inflicted on the girls involved," it was written in the statement. https://www.usc.nl/vereniging/nieuws/strenge-maatregelen-n-a-v-beschamende-actie-verantwoordelijken-geschorst

It has been established for USC that "some members" of that association discussed the women. RTV Utrecht, which saw the presentation, states that women are divided into two groups: one that appeals to the makers and another in which the women are called "dragons". Photos would be accompanied by texts such as "Pffffff very fat", "Has a pretty nice ass" or "As far as we're concerned, the hottest of the year 23".

For USC, it is clear that "some members" of their club have discussed the appearances of the young women. RTV Utrecht, which has seen the presentation, claims that the women are divided into two groups: one that is liked by the power presentation makers and another in which the women are referred to as “dragons”. The photos would be accompanied by texts such as "Pffffff very fat", "Has a pretty nice ass" or "Hottest of the year 23 for us".

In the official statement, the USC wished "all victims much strength. We will take appropriate action and share relevant information about them as soon as we have it. We will, of course, offer any member of UVSV and USC the opportunity to discuss this with the Senate (of the University)."

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has started an investigation into the Utrecht Student Corps (USC). A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service confirmed this after reporting by RTV Utrecht.

However, the spokesperson could not say what exactly the Public Prosecution Service is investigating. Overall, it is still unclear whether any reports have already been filed.

Recently, several fraternities have come under fire for transgressive behavior. For example, financial support for the Amsterdam student association L.A.N.X. was stopped after it was reported that there had been serious assaults on the Ares disputants during a trip to Romania in 2022. In the same year, Maastricht University (UM) also imposed sanctions on the student association Tragos in Maastricht for incidents related to the harassment of first-year students.

Parents of affected female students take legal action

The parents of the students named on the so-called “bangalist” of the Utrecht Studenten Corps (USC) will file a report. Lawyer Ina Brouwer announced this in a statement on behalf of the parents on Friday evening.

The parents of the female students that were mentioned on the USC “banga list” will press charges, lawyer Ina Brouwer announced in a statement on behalf of the parents on Friday evening.

"Our daughters appear with their name, address and telephone number on the disgusting banga list 'girls presentation year 23' by members of the Utrecht Student Corps, which was circulated thousands of times on the internet yesterday, resulting in even more offensive messages being sent to them," it was said in the statement. According to the parents, the psychological and social impact on their daughters is enormous. "At an age when you should be able to enjoy your student life, you are framed as a disgusting, defenseless, sexual object by, of all people, your own fellow students and fellow corps members!".

The parents demand that Utrecht University and student associations take measures "on penalty of a penalty that will be immediately handed out to responsible persons and removal from the student houses".

"We have engaged expert lawyers who will draw up and implement a complete action plan together with us. This will include - but not only - holding those responsible liable, removing the banga list and keeping it removed, reporting to the police and filing a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority," the statement said. According to the parents ' lawyer, the daughters do not want to report the crime themselves out of fear.

The USC announced on Friday that an unknown number of members have been suspended indefinitely, effective immediately. The reason for the suspension is a PowerPoint presentation in which members of the female student association UVSV are "discussed on the basis of their appearance". The USC announced that it distanced itself from the "repulsive action". The Public Prosecution Service reported on Friday that it has started an investigation.