Belgium: A 21-year-old international student has been restricted entry from the Flemish-language university VUB in Brussels following 15 sexual assault and violence complaints. He is only permitted on campus only to give his exams.
In the statement, the VUB confirmed that various students attending the university were victims of transgressive behaviour by another student and announced that, following the referral to the disciplinary committee, it was decided that he “was no longer allowed to participate in all educational activities and all student facilities and that he was not allowed to show up on the VUB campuses, except for the exams.”
Moreover, although the young man, reportedly the son of a diplomat, locked up and assaulted several fellow students in his room, over six months passed between the first complaint and the final sanction, and one student shared the information.
She added that due to the VUB’s refusal to take action, the victims of the person in question and of other people who have committed similar acts of violence continue to be confronted with the individuals who had hurt them on campus.
She highlighted that most of the people who have tried to speak out against his behaviour, herself included, were reportedly made to feel like outsiders by the other students and were bullied for speaking out.
Along with this, a student in second year was the first to contact the VUB hotline in the month of October 2021 because a friend of hers had been assaulted on campus. The international student left both the university and the nation, as per the sources.
As the accused student reportedly had a reputation on campus for such behaviour, the second-year student discovered that her friend was not the only victim. In November, she took to VUB with four accusations against the foreign diplomat’s son, but it was not enough: “They wanted more information.
The needed details. Who, what, where and when.”
Furthermore, she then took the matter into her own hands and gathered 15 reports with written testimonies, audio recordings, and text messages. Ten students filed a complaint by name, and five wished to remain anonymous.
