A Stellenbosch University (SU) student was injured and hospitalised after their room was allegedly set alight at off-campus student accommodation over the weekend.
SU confirmed that another student has been arrested in connection with the incident, which is being investigated by police as a criminal case.
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Unconfirmed reports suggest that the alleged perpetrator and victim are known to each other.
Screenshots unverified
Screenshots of private messages, believed to be between the alleged perpetrator and a friend, depict the sender claiming to “burn” the victim. However, the authenticity of the screenshots has not been verified, nor has it been confirmed that they belong to the alleged perpetrator.
The university expressed deep concern over the incident, stressing that the accommodation where it occurred is neither owned nor managed by SU.
“An incident of this nature can have a significant emotional impact, not only on those directly involved, but also on their housemates and other students,” said Dr Leslie van Rooi, Dean of Students.
Support offered
Staff from the university’s Commuter Student Communities Unit have visited the hospitalised student and met with other students living on the same premises to offer support.
SU said its duty of care extended to all students involved in the incident, adding that staff had also enquired about the welfare of the arrested student.
“The University recognises the distress this can cause, and we are making sure that affected students have access to the support they need,” Van Rooi said.
As the matter is under police investigation, the university said it could not provide further details regarding the identities of the students involved or the charges against the alleged perpetrator.
SU added that it would cooperate with authorities as required, while its own internal processes would follow in due course.
NovaNews reached out to police for comment on the criminal case but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
