For the first time in 75 years, Texel beaches will no longer be patrolled by lifeguards from the Utrechtsch Studenten Corps (USC) this summer. The Texel city council decided this on Wednesday evening. Nine of the fifteen council members voted in favor of a motion by GroenLinks, PvdA Pro Texel, D66 and CDA to stop cooperation with the Utrechtsch Studenten Werkkamp (USW), part of the Utrecht student association, due to reports of sexual misconduct.
Since 1950, beach crossings on Texel have been guarded for nine weeks during the summer season by Utrecht corps members, since 1980 in collaboration with volunteers from the Texel Rescue Brigade. The rescue brigade keeps an eye on the tourist beach crossings on the north of the island, the coast guards (or ‘Bademeisters’, as they call it) of the Utrecht corps guard the southern beaches. The students spend the night in a shed close to the tourist village of De Koog for nine weeks.
The USW became discredited after councilor Jacquelien Dros (GroenLinks) heard a story about the rape of a young woman by Utrecht students in the summer of 2022. Later, three more victims of sexual misconduct came forward to her. Dros, a former general practitioner on the island, collected old anecdotes and recent experiences of Texel residents about the students in a ‘black book’.
Point system
Including it A.D and NRC wrote at the beginning of this year about misconduct by students on the island. For example, they would use a points system whereby “every sex session” earns points. And about fifteen years ago, a resident of the shed where the USWers spend the night is said to have seen them performing sexual acts on a sheep.
Taxi drivers received instructions from the municipality to no longer drive women to the shed
Last summer, the municipality of Texel took additional measures. A vice detective visited the students at the beginning of the beach season for an interview. The code of conduct that the corps members must sign states, among other things: recorded that they would no longer receive “nightly visitors” in the barn. Taxi drivers received instructions from the municipality not to drive women to the shed anymore. The students were given two experienced lifeguards as coaches and their efforts were evaluated.
That evaluation was published in September and is largely positive about the USW lifeguards. They have “grown into their role of helper” and have provided first aid on the island several times outside their shifts. In contrast to the Texel Rescue Brigade, which was struggling with understaffing, there were five lifeguards present at the USW posts at all times.
Catering security guards reported no incidents and beach pavilion owners were also positive. According to the owner of Café Sjans in De Koog, “the gentlemen” were found “considerably less in the café” compared to previous years and they left home earlier. Despite “a lot of attention from ladies,” they continued to “act within the guidelines.” The beach coaches are also satisfied and advise the municipality to “continue like this because things can only get better.”
‘Deep friendships’
A majority of the council nevertheless voted on Wednesday evening in favor of the motion that prefers a lifeguard where “no additional efforts, agreements, measures” are required, such as with the USW. “The municipality of Texel should not be an education clinic for Utrecht fraternity students,” says Dros, one of the authors of the motion, in a telephone conversation prior to the council meeting. A motion by the VVD proposing another transition year with USW and then a tender, just fell short of a majority.
The letter that the Utrecht corps members sent to the council last week could not change the council members’ minds. “There are no charges, nor convictions, and no reports known to the USW or the municipality,” the USW writes. “Then you can’t collectively brand a group of people as no longer welcome and misogynistic?”
Over the past 75 years, “deep friendships have been formed,” according to the students. “Texel has learned from the students and the students have learned from Texel.”
Councilor Eric Hercules (PvdA Pro Texel) noted during the council meeting that Utrecht students are free to apply for jobs at the Texel Rescue Brigade or the KNRM (Royal Dutch Rescue Company), which will probably take over the positions of the USWers.
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