Animal rights organization Gaia takes a civil party in the trial against the members of student club Reuzegom, for ‘cruel animal abuse’ during the fatal student baptism in which Sanda Dia died.
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“We are extremely shocked by what Sanda Dia’s life has cost”, says chairman Michel Vandenbosch. ‘But also with regard to the horrific abuse of animals, the members of Reuzegom still show a disgusting lack of sense of norm.’
Gaia is filing a civil party lawsuit against Jef S. and strangers who were co-perpetrators or accomplices, the organization reports Monday. ‘We are filing a civil party and want the named Jef S. to be prosecuted and convicted of cruel animal cruelty because he was the one who prepared the’ shaft porridge ‘, including by reducing a live mouse to a puree through the blender,’ says Vandenbosch. The members concerned are faced with an additional sentence of six months in prison.
The animal rights organization points out that members of Reuzegom had already assaulted and killed a piglet in 2009. They were not prosecuted for this after a complaint from Gaia, but it came to an amicable settlement of 400 euros. In addition to the horrific fact that a human life is now to be mourned, animals were again maltreated and atrocities committed. That is why Gaia wants effective prosecution this time, also for the acts committed on animals, ‘explains Michel Vandenbosch. “No more amicable settlements, done with the lump sums that are insufficiently deterrent.”
Gaia emphasizes that it has instructed its lawyers not to “take any step that could delay the bottom line.”
Engineering student Sanda Dia died in December 2018 during a baptism by student club Reuzegom. Two weeks ago, the public prosecutor of Limburg referred eighteen members of Reuzegom, partly because of unintentional killing. The council chamber will decide on September 4 on their possible referral to the criminal court.
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