A group of university students have sparked a furious backlash after being pictured on social media wearing t-shirts ridiculing rape and murder victims.
Members of Lancaster University’s Snow Sports Society were seen at the student union’s Sugarhouse nightclub in the distasteful outfits.
The group were pictured on social media wearing t-shirts daubed with slogans including ‘Mandela touched kids’, ‘Jimmy Saville was misunderstood’ and ‘f*** gay rights’, sparking a furore online.
One student was photographed in a top bearing the words ‘Sandyhook woz bantz’ – referring to the 2012 school massacre in Connecticut
One student was photographed in a top bearing the words ‘I’ve got muscles cus dad raped me’ while another top read, ‘Sandyhook woz bantz’ – referring to the 2012 school massacre in Connecticut.
Another reveller wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Free Tommy Robinson’.
According to The National Student, the incident occurred during the first week of term, October 12.
The group reportedly wore the t-shirts for the snow-sports society’s first social of the year, named ‘LUSS Social #1: White Tee Social’.
Another member of the group was wearing a swastika inside a love-heart above a message reading: ‘I like 12 year olds.’
A spokesman for the student union said both the club and the group members were under investigation.
The spokesman said they were ‘extremely disappointed’ details of the union panel meeting held to discuss the matter were leaked and ‘compromised’ and a subsequent investigation has now been launched to discipline the whistleblower.
Slogans on the tops included, ‘I’ve got muscles cus dad raped me’ and ‘Mandela touched kids’
Outraged by the photographs, the Lancaster University BME Students Network posted on Facebook: ‘The university has been aware of this situation for some time and has chosen not to inform students, so we are writing this post today, in solidarity with other liberation groups on campus, to openly condemn these actions when the university won’t.
‘This type of rhetoric only normalizes hate speech and cannot and will not be tolerated on a university campus, or anywhere else for that matter.
‘These actions speak only to the ignorance and privilege exuded by those involved. This brings into question just how much respect these people have for their fellow students.’
The BME network said the t-shirts represented ‘a blatant lack of compassion, respect, and common decency towards their class mates.’
‘It must also be said that our societies are collectively disappointed at how little attention has been given to this matter by the university, and only now, after four weeks, is it being discussed.’
The Lancaster University Feminist Society added: ‘Not only is it unacceptable that these members and the society have not faced repercussions for their actions, it is also completely unacceptable that Lancaster University has failed to take action to make our university a safer place. This event was not an isolated incident.’
This joker wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Free Tommy Robinson’
A spokesman for the Student Union said: ‘This matter is the subject of a live investigation by the students’ union, as is our policy when allegations are made relating to breaches of our codes of conduct. The club was immediately suspended as soon as the students’ union became aware of this issue.
‘A panel convened to consider the available evidence and decide any appropriate sanctions against the students’ union group. The panel has already agreed that the behaviour fell far below of the standards that were expected. The panel was due to meet to finalise sanctions against the club.
‘We’re extremely disappointed that this information has been made public before the investigation was concluded and that our panel has been compromised.
‘The union takes allegations of this kind very seriously and the matter is being handled in line with our disciplinary procedures.’
A university spokesman added: ‘The University fully supports the Students Union’s investigation into the conduct of one of its societies and the society’s immediate suspension. While the Student Union is responsible for the conduct of any student society, the University expects all members of its community to behave with respect and tolerance for others and is prepared to use its own disciplinary procedures if necessary where behaviour falls short of those standards.’
- Do you know the students in the pictures? Email amie.gordon@mailonline.co.uk