Vindicat Under Fire After First-Year Students Reportedly Branded During Fraternity Weekend
Ten students suffered facial burns in a weekend outing with TYR, a subgroup linked to Vindicat. The incident has sparked outrage and prompted internal and public investigations.
Ten first-year members of the Groningen student association Vindicat suffered first-degree burns to their faces during a fraternity weekend organised by the dispute TYR, which is affiliated with the association. Multiple sources within Vindicat claim that the students were “branded in the face” — a claim currently under internal investigation.
Incident occurred outside Vindicat supervision
Chairman Wibe Kaak confirmed to DvhN and Sikkom that several members had sustained burns. However, he stressed that the event occurred “outside the association,” during an independent outing of the TYR fraternity. “It is terrible that this happened, but TYR reported the incident themselves, and we have taken all appropriate steps since then,” Kaak said.
Vindicat has launched an internal investigation, and the victims have been advised to report the incident to the police. It remains unclear whether any official complaint has been filed. According to reports from Algemeen Dagblad, Vindicat has since cut ties with TYR.
TYR previously flagged for misconduct
TYR had already been flagged for troubling behaviour in a 2018 report by the national accreditation committee for student organisations. The report criticised Vindicat for failing to act on complaints that TYR’s behaviour was experienced as intimidating by other members.
Reactions from city and university
Both the University of Groningen and the municipality of Groningen were informed immediately. A university spokesperson stated that the board "acted adequately and in line with the code of conduct.” The university is now monitoring the situation.
Mayor Mirjam van ’t Veld called the allegations “completely unacceptable and reprehensible.” She expects “appropriate measures” if it is confirmed that the students were indeed branded: “We will await the results of the investigation and enter into discussions with the association shortly.”
Vindicat’s troubled history
This is not the first time Vindicat has faced scrutiny. In March, 80 members were briefly suspended after misconduct during a ski trip. In 2016, a student suffered a serious head injury during hazing, and that same year a so-called “banga list” was published online, rating female students by sexual performance.