Ten students suffer facial burns in Groningen hazing incident tied to fraternity
Ten first-year members of the Groningen student association Vindicat atque Polit have sustained first-degree facial burns during a weekend outing with TYR, a subgroup connected to the association, according to Dagblad van het Noorden and Sikkom. Multiple internal sources claim the students were "branded on their faces" during the incident, which took place outside the formal oversight of Vindicat.
Vindicat chairman Wibe Kaak confirmed that members of the association suffered first-degree burns to the face. “That’s currently under internal investigation. What is certain is that multiple members sustained first-degree burns during an incident that occurred outside the association. The group was away for the weekend, and that’s where things went wrong,” Kaak said.
The incident has triggered scrutiny of TYR, the subgroup involved. TYR is linked to Vindicat as a type of "dispuut"—a smaller, often elite internal group within student societies. The group was previously mentioned by name in a 2018 report by the Accreditation Committee for Student Organizations, which noted, “There is a TYR dispuut that is perceived by some as intimidating.” The committee criticized Vindicat’s leadership for not taking disciplinary action against TYR’s behavior at the time.
Kaak stated the incident was immediately reported to the association’s leadership, who then informed both the University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, or RUG) and the municipality of Groningen. “We constantly emphasize that members, committees, and disputen must adhere to codes of conduct, including during off-site activities,” Kaak told Sikkom. “It’s terrible that this didn’t happen. But I’m glad TYR reported the incident themselves.” RUG said it is planning on talking to Vindicat.
Groningen mayor Mirjam van ’t Veld also responded, saying she had been informed promptly under existing agreements with Vindicat. “If it turns out that people were indeed branded, that is completely unacceptable and reprehensible,” the mayor said. “In that case, I expect appropriate measures to be taken. We have arrangements with Vindicat to be immediately informed in the event of incidents, and that has happened in this case. We will await the outcome of the investigation and will speak with the association in the short term.”
An internal investigation is now underway. Kaak said that he has advised the affected students to contact police. As of Thursday evening, a police spokesperson could neither confirm nor deny whether a report had been filed.
The RUG acknowledged awareness of the incident. A university spokesperson stated, “We inform the rectors and the accreditation committee for student organizations. They will determine what needs to happen.” The university declined further comment.
