Read the full letter here:
“Dear concerned fellow human beings,
I consciously stayed out of the media frenzy for more than 5 years, hoping that everything would calm down on its own. Unfortunately, the recent fuss has me scrambling to write.
This must stop, Sanda’s soul must be able to rest.
I understand all the reactions, outrages and calls for justice. It is said to be a ‘symbol file’.
But that doesn’t change the fact that there are real people behind it. Behind the Sanda Dia that is depicted in the newspapers and on the screens, there is a real boy, an average Belgian boy who grew up in a nice house in a quiet neighborhood, who played football, had hobbies, who took Latin and studied, everyone’s friend.
To regard Sanda as an underprivileged loser is to do an injustice to his memory.
Like many average students, he wanted to join a student club, and specifically belong to that club. After all, he already knew some boys from the past. He wanted to participate in baptism at all costs, even though he knew what might await him. 7 boys had already dropped out during the preliminary rounds which were too much for them. He also knew that the trend in student baptisms was to continue with irresponsible behavior, to administer increasingly risky tests, with a rash attitude, without considering the consequences. Even with the warning from their parents, who regularly ignore young people, no one wanted this or saw it coming, not those boys, and not Sanda either.
What happened that night during the baptism has been investigated long and thoroughly. The court heard all sides of the story equally, weighed them carefully and ruled on them.
Sanda died in a tragic accident due to rash behavior and, as painful as it is to hear, his own choices.
It had nothing to do with his origins, with his parents, with the color of his skin. If it hadn’t happened, he would have just been a Giant Gommer. And he had participated in the baptism the following year, but on the other side.
Justice can be done to Sanda by putting a stop to outdated baptismal rituals, inhuman humiliations and trials without any form of control or accountability.
However, justice for Sanda will never be bought, not with fines or community service, not with donations to “The Family”, to initiatives and non-profit organizations. I realize that for many people this is a way to contribute something, to process their grief, but it is not my way. The fact that my son, in my opinion, is now being used as a martyr does him no justice and continues to feed the incorrect narrative in the collective memory.
I am very grateful to everyone for all the good intentions and sincere compassion, and hope that the recovery from this terrible event can stop and that Sanda gets the rest he deserves.”
