No appeal by YouTuber Acid in Belgian case involving fatal hazing Dia | Media

Acid announced the names of four students who allegedly hazed Dia in June. The student died from the assault. Acid thought the fine and community service that the judge had imposed on them were too low and therefore exposed the students.

“It’s time to stop,” the YouTuber said in a video on Monday about whether or not to appeal. “I don’t sleep well because that’s literally all I’ve been thinking about: do I continue or do I stop here? And do I accept the fucking punishment they gave me, no matter how unjustified it is?”

Nathan Vandergunst, as the YouTuber is actually called, also says that he did nothing wrong. “Public opinion was always much more important to me than what those fucking people in suits were going to decide I had done wrong. And we won. We had already won before there was a verdict.”

That is why Acid says that he no longer has to prove anything and therefore does not have to play by the rules of justice to clear his name. He promises that he would do the same next time.

The judiciary and the media are also being criticized by Acid for not releasing the names of the suspects. “Those are the criminals.”

Acid’s lawyer had said in February that his client would appeal anyway. But the YouTuber said a little later in a video that he actually did not want to appeal.

YouTuber Acid received a suspended prison sentence of three months and a fine. He also says he must pay 20,000 euros in compensation to the family of one of the members of the student association where Dia died during a hazing incident. That amount could still increase.

Vandergunst started a crowdfunding campaign that has now raised more than 175,000 euros. Part of this is for compensation and the rest goes to the family of Dia, who died in 2018.

There was a lot of outrage in Belgium last year surrounding the criminal case. Eighteen members of the Reuzegom student association were given community service. Shortly after that conviction, Vandergunst announced the names of the students involved via his YouTube channel.

Student association Reuzegom was dissolved after Dia’s death.