During a sittning at Malmö nation, live eels were caught from a barrel and tortured by participants. That is one thing that appears in a video from 2014, and now, the nation risks being reported for animal cruelty by Animal Rights Sweden.
The blog post “That is why I am leaving Malmö nation” has created headlines in the past week. In it, the blogger describes events that, according to him, are evidence of a highly unsound nation-culture.
Among other things, the blogger describes how live eels were caught from a barrel during a sittning, were thrown around, and were then tortured to death in a sauna.
Described as rumours and myths
William Personne, quartor of Malmö nation, explained to Lundagård that this was only rumours.
“That is not something I recognise,” he said in a previous interview.
But actually, a similar sequence of events took place at another sittning last autumn – one that William Personne attended.
In a video sequence, a person in Malmö nation’s rooms is repeatedly trying to catch a live eel from a barrel. Accompanied by the bombastic theme music from Star Wars and the keen incitements from other participants, the person dives into the barrel numerous times.
When, finally, the eel is caught, it is raised in the air triumphantly. The eel is clearly alive – as is the excited audience.
The incident was reported to Animal Rights Sweden
On 30 September of 2015, the incident was reported to the animal rights organisation, Animal Rights Sweden in Lund. The report describes not only how the eel was caught from a barrel, but also how it was thrown around and later killed, at the nation.
The report also describes the lynch-atmosphere among the participants. Among other things, the participants incited each other by discussing the fact that the eel is red-listed, and that there is a prohibition of fishing eels, according to the person filing the report.
Animal Rights Sweden in Lund, however, chose not to pursue the reported incident further, after having spoken to qurator William Personne.
He was not responsible for the nation when the incident took place, but said that this “tradition” was scrapped as of his entering the quratel. In connection with the filing of the report, all pictures from the sittning were deleted from Malmö nation’s webpage as well.
On the other hand, William Personne was present at the sittning where the eel-incident occurred. He says that he himself did not take part in the cruelty to the eel. He also emphasises that the eel did not die from torture.
In the video, people are seen cheering, and there seems to be an unsound culture at the nation. What are your thoughts on that?
“What happened builds on long-standing tradition. When people are at a sittning and are excited, of course there will be hustle and bustle. But I do not know whether this has anything to do with a nation culture,” he says and continues:
“Within student life, there are some boisterous traditions that stay for a bit too long. Of course, no one should suffer, neither animal nor human. Society changes constantly, and sometimes, student life does not progress as fast.”
Did you play with the eel at the sittning?
“No.”
But you witnessed it?
“Yes. But it is not playing. The eels are not there to be played with. They are there in a barrel, and that’s that. I do not know exactly how it happened. I was there as a guest, and had no responsibility or insight at that time.”
“But I have never played with any eel – that sounds so bizarre.”
In reality, the eel was not played with – it was tortured to death [according to the person filing the report – Ed.]. That surely sounds even more bizarre.
“Indeed. That claim sounds insane, but of course, the animals were not tortured to death,” William Personne says.
Did you ever think that you should stop what was going on?
“Those thoughts are always there. But I had no leading position at that time, and I was excited to be at a sittning. Rationality is not always a given in those contexts. To be honest, I did not reflect on it that much back then, from what I recall. It happened a year ago, and it was one sittning out of many.”
But it is not one sittning out of many if an animal is tortured to death.
“The purpose was never to torture the animal to death – that is twisting the truth and is completely false. This is a tradition that has been practised, in my understanding.”
What was the purpose, then?
“I do not know. I did not have any responsibility or insight into the nation,” William Personne says.
Lundagård have been in contact with the then quartor Johannes Jarl. He did not want to answer any questions relating to the incident, but instead directed us to present quartor William Personne.
“That tradition is not practised anymore. It is an old tradition,” he says when Lundagård ask about the events shown in the video.
But it was practised in 2014, when you were quartor?
“I am on a plane to New York and do not have time to talk to you. I am sorry. I will have to direct you to William,” Johannes Jarl says.
After Lundagård have been in contact with Sweden’s largest organisation for animal rights and protection, Animal Rights Sweden, the organisation will file a new report against Malmö nation, concerning cruelty to animals. This time, the report is based on the published video, and will be initiated by the chairperson of the organisation, Camilla Björkbom.
“This is horrible,” she says in an interview with Lundagård.
Translation: Richard Helander
