The University of the Algarve is to take disciplinary action against two students over a prank last year that left one girl in hospital.
The case dates back to September 2015, when a 19-year-old first year student had to be rushed to Faro hospital suffering from a surfeit of alcohol, administered as she lay buried up to her head in the sand on Faro Beach.
The University of Algarve will initiate disciplinary proceedings to the two students following a full investigation.
In a statement released today, the University of Algarve outlined the various formal steps that had been taken followed the student’s admission to hospital.
The girl’s horrified parents made a formal complaint to the University’s rector, António Branco, who decided to initiate proceedings to determine who was responsible.
"As a result of something that happened on the beach, a student needed medical care and this constituted sufficient grounds to open an inquiry procedure which may have disciplinary consequences," said the rector at the time, noting that the clinical situation the student suffered from was "not serious."
This inquiry was completed on 21 November 2015 and the final report was submitted that ordered a disciplinary process for the two students that were implicated.
On March 10th, 2016 the students were sent "a written warning for infringement of the probity of duty and good conduct by those students."
One of the students lodged a complaint, rejecting the findings and the penalty. This was duly dealt with and on September 2nd the disciplinary action was confirmed.
Today’s statement from the University of the Algarve claimed that the girl’s condition was due to a number of factors and that some of the media had blown things out of all proportion.
The State prosecutor concluded in a parallel investigation that no crime had been committed.
The sensitivity of the case largely was due to the Meco beach disaster on December 15th, 2013 when six Lisbon students, involved in a beachside prank, were swept out to sea and drowned.
The sole survivor, João Gouveia, remained silent until the investigation came to court in 2014.
Gouveia claimed that the deaths were just tragic accidents and nothing to do with academic ‘induction ceremonies’ gone wrong. The case was archived to the continuing distress of the parents who still feel that the explanations accepted by the court were not entirely truthful.
