School students threatened with firearm in Haren; Forced to kneel and apologize
In two incidents, students from the Harens Lyceum were threatened with a firearm in Haren, Groningen, on Monday. The kids involved, both Dutch students and Spanish exchange students, were forced to kneel and apologize while the perpetrator filmed them, RTV Noord reported after seeing a letter the school sent to parents.
The school speaks of two “significant and similar” incidents. “During the first incident, a small group of Catalan students, on their way to the sports day, were approached near Haren train station by a boy unknown to us,” school team leader Hans Warris wrote.
“This boy was under the impression that the students were insulting him. During this conversation, he displayed a firearm, although it is uncertain whether it was real or fake.”
The unknown boy made the students kneel at gunpoint and forced them to apologize, while filming them. After they had apologized, they were allowed to leave.
The students immediately notified their teachers, who called the police.
The second incident occurred a few hours later near the Albert Heijn in the Center of the Groningen village. “A small group of Catalan and Dutch students was threatened during this incident,” Warris wrote. “This time, there were multiple perpetrators. Under threat of a weapon, these students were also forced to kneel and apologize.”
The perpetrators also filmed this incident and allowed the kids to leave after they apologized. “Once again, the police were contacted immediately,” Warris said.
According to Warris, the school does not know the perpetrators.
The school said that the involved students are doing well under the circumstances. The school is in contact with the police regarding how to prevent future incidents. At this point, the student exchange program continues unchanged.
“Given the succession of both incidents, we do emphasize the importance of not moving from one activity to the other alone, and preferably in large groups,” the school urged in the letter to parents and guardians.
In January, the police raised concerns about the rise in “humiliation videos” shared on social media. The videos show teenagers forced to their knees under threat and made to apologize. “It is worrying and terrible that suspects instill fear, humiliate, and abuse victims in this way,” the police said.
