USC lifeguards allowed to stay in Texel

The tradition of UU students guarding the beaches of Texel in the summer is not coming to an end after 75 years. Next year, 25 students from the USC fraternity will be welcome on the island.

The news was broken by Mayor Mark Pol in a letter to the municipal council reacting to reports published by several media outlets about the misdemeanours of first and second-year UU students while working on the island.

The mayor had previously stated that the police had received two reports of unacceptable behaviour. According to the newspaper AD, one of the reports concerned a rape committed by four students.

However, Pol states in his letter that the police and the Public Prosecution Service see no reason to conduct further investigations into the two reports. He adds that no other reports or complaints could be linked to the fraternity members in recent years.

At the same time, Pol says he is surprised by how bothered some people living on the island are by the lifeguards. There has even been a protest against them at the town hall. For this reason, the mayor will establish a few additional requirements for students to work as lifeguards in Texel.

Starting next summer, the students will no longer be allowed to receive visitors in the barn where they stay during the summer. In addition, each lifeguard will have to sign a code of conduct. Up until now, a collective signature sufficed. Last but not least, an external supervisor will be assigned to accompany the lifeguards during their stay. 

The impact of these measures will be evaluated once the summer is over.