In addition, he must pay compensation of 20,000 euros to the parents of a former Reuzegommer for the damage they suffered as owners of a restaurant.
Acid, aka Nathan Vandergunst, had to answer in court for (online) harassment, violation of privacy and defamation. The YouTuber was sentenced to prison and a fine of up to 136,000 euros. The parents of the former student demanded compensation of 200,000 euros. According to his lawyer Walter Van Steenbrugge, he will appeal once morest the sentence. In the Flemish program Terzake he said that Acid deserves an acquittal because he used his right to freedom of expression when he mentioned the names of members of Reuzegom.
Criminal record
Acid was impressed following hearing the verdict. “It’s shocking when you hear a judge say ‘three months in prison’. Even if it is postponed,” he told the press followingwards. “It remains a punishment that will be on my criminal record. And that was not the case with the Reuzegommers. That is shit. Terrible, even. I will have to carry this with me for the rest of my life.”
The YouTuber says he is proud of what he has done. “I would do it once more. I said in my video what a lot of people were thinking. What I get today is a solid sandwich. But I remain positive, even if there is actually nothing positive regarding it.” Acid does not plan to appeal the ruling and says it will continue making videos.
Watch his reaction to the verdict here:
In 2018, 20-year-old engineering student Sanda Dia died following a hazing incident that got out of hand at the Leuven student association Reuzegom. The students involved received community service sentences of up to 300 hours and fines of up to 400 euros. Many Belgians thought these sentences were too low.
Not involved
Acid decided to take matters into his own hands. He posted a video online with the names of the perpetrators. In that video he also accidentally mentioned someone who was not involved in the hazing. YouTube took the video offline.
The innocent former student was harassed online following Acid’s video. His parents’ star restaurant in Antwerp received false bookings and reviews. They therefore demanded compensation for the damage to their business. The boy himself wanted a symbolic amount of 1 euro.
Boundaries
The lawyer for the former student and his parents is satisfied with the ruling. “It is important to us that the court has given the signal that freedom of expression is not absolute. There are limits.”
