A 26-year-old former student of the Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) who threatened students and teachers must be treated as quickly as possible. The woman from Groningen is also not allowed to contact at least three students and teachers of this course. The court in Den Bosch determined this on Monday.
If the woman sent from BUas does not comply with the conditions over the next three years, she will receive 40 hours of community service. She herself had appealed against a ruling by the court in Breda.
In September 2022, the woman threatened students and teachers at the games course in Breda with death. This caused the victims to fear death for a while.
The woman sent messages to students and teachers via social media and Teams. In it she first said what the recipients had done to her. She concluded her messages with the words ‘See you Monday’ and ‘you will see Monday’. Monday meant the first school day of the new academic year. To accompany the threat, she sent a photo of a dead man, who was in an advanced state of decomposition.
The Groningen woman said in court that she could not accept the fact that she had received too little attention during the first two years of her studies at BUas. But especially that she was not allowed to continue her gaming training. That’s why she sent those messages.
Taken very seriously
The court finds that the woman should have known that her messages would be taken very seriously. In fact, to this day, she has undermined the sense of safety at the school.
A BUas manager told the hearing that her action had led to uncertainty and fear among the victims. The threats have made the relationship between teachers and students more distant. Teaching staff would not dare to give low ratings for fear of retaliation, the BUas manager said. The school management also had to take costly measures to continue to guarantee safety.
Extreme regret
The former student has an autism spectrum disorder. She also has difficulty dealing with situations in which she does not feel heard or in which she is bullied. For these reasons, the court did not impose an unconditional sentence on her, which would have been justified.
During the hearing she said that it was only later that she realized that people had reacted so scared and shocked because of her. “I think it’s terrible what happened. I was not myself, I have extreme regrets,” said the woman, who is now following a gaming course in Groningen.
BUas says it is pleased with the court’s ruling. A response emphasizes that this case has had a major impact on teachers and students of the games course. “We focus on education and research and attach great importance to social safety for both students and staff. Threats to that safety will not be tolerated,” the statement also said. The student is wished ‘the best’ in this regard.
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