Amsterdam student association hazing allegations may involve assault, excessive verbal abuse

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The beating, trampling and extreme and persistent humiliation are among the alleged incidents of hazing involving transgressive behavior at the student association ASC / AVSV in Amsterdam. The sparse details of the incidents were described in a letter from the board of directors representing former members of the association.

Several students were injured during the initiation ceremony, the Volkskrant reported. On Friday, it was announced that the student organization had immediately halted its induction programs because the board received reports of misconduct during the induction ceremony.

Both men and women have committed the transgressive acts, according to the letter from former members. “In our opinion, something is seriously wrong with some boys, and certainly also some girls, who consider it normal that extreme humiliation, trampling and beating is part of the short initiation period,” the letter indicated. The hazing was carried out with the attitude: “This has happened to me too, and so I will too.”

A spokesperson for the ASC / AVSV declined to say what exactly happened, but said on Friday that it was “totally unacceptable”. The University of Amsterdam received a report of the mischief later today.

The Vrije Universiteit also said it was later informed of the requirements of the protocol. We were only made aware of the incidents recently when we asked questions ourselves, a spokesperson for VU told the Volkskrant on Friday. We want to know next week from representatives of the association why we were not immediately informed of what happened.

ASC / AVSV is the largest student association in the Netherlands with over 2,700 members. In July 2022, the association will celebrate its 170th anniversary but there is no reason to rejoice if a clear cultural change does not take place, wrote the former members.

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