Parents of slut list victims announce legal action

In a statement, the parents wrote that their daughters are suffering from “immense social and psychological consequences” because their names, pictures and phone numbers have been divulged on the “abhorrent" list. “At an age when you're supposed to enjoy your life as a student, you are being framed as a disgusting and defenceless sexual object by your classmates and fellow student association members, of all people!”

Last Thursday, a PowerPoint presentation circulated among the student community in Utrecht. Comments were made on the appearance and sexual preferences of about thirty members of the Utrecht-based sorority UVSV. The parents write that they have already taken several actions to prevent the list from being distributed any further and have its compilers punished. 

Now they have also hired the Amsterdam-based lawyer Ina Brouwer, who will assist them with drawing up “an action plan”. This may include reporting the incident to the police, holding the students accountable, and filing a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority.

The Public Prosecution Service announced on Friday that it would investigate the obscene PowerPoint presentation. According to Brouwer, the students do not want to press charges for now, as that would be too burdensome. 

Brouwer prefers not to comment on the legal action the parents are considering. “This is a clear invasion of privacy and many legal options are possible. That’s what we’re thinking about now.”

In the statement, the parents also demand that the university and the USC take swift action. It remains unclear what exactly their expectations are. According to the parents' statement, the students responsible should be punished and evicted from the frat house.

“Without real action, the situation will not change and women will continue to fall victim to this abhorrent culture.”

UU announced on Friday that it will discuss the incident with USC and determine suitable measures.