Students at Portugal’s historic University of Coimbra risk being expelled after messages containing what has been classed as racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic content was shared in a WhatsApp group with around 800 students.
The material, which also includes images praising Nazism, has shocked the city’s academic community.
The university’s Student Ombudsman’s Office has already launched “steps to establish the facts and identify those involved,” according to the Portuguese daily Correio da Manhã.
At the centre of the controversy is a five-minute audio recording containing insults directed at women, foreigners and Black people, alongside images promoting Nazi ideology.
Several voices can be heard in the recording, although only one of the individuals involved shared the files. That student has reportedly apologised to the university, the polytechnic and student associations, but has not identified the other participants.
According to Correio da Manhã, the WhatsApp group appears to be linked to the Coimbra Business School ISCAC, which is part of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra. Those involved could now face disciplinary proceedings that may lead to expulsion from the University of Coimbra.
Meanwhile, the Academic Association of Coimbra (AAC) issued a statement condemning the incident on social media, describing the events as “regrettable” and calling for a “thorough investigation” and appropriate action by the competent authorities.
“Racism and any form of discrimination are blatant attacks on the values of freedom, equality and dignity that define our academic community,” the statement reads. “There is no place for hatred or exclusion in our city or in our educational institutions.”
Source: CM
