Interesting. The issue of wanting all boarding schools looked into could be to put them on notice (obviously) but also maybe to have those schools put pressure themselves on Helufsholm. I mean one bad apple overturning the whole cart is not good for them.
I am little confused as to the Conservatives being quiet on the issue and the comparison to the more liberal party. Could you give a little more explanation? ?
In the documentary, was there any type of tangible evidence presented (Ie cell phone footage of incidents, letters written to the school about alleged incidents, formal complaints filed to the school, school board, etc) or was it just a matter of them telling what allegedly occurred. Just curious, because now with a police complaint filed, all those types of documentations may be requested via whatever channels the Danish legal system has in place for such requests. And I agree, this is very pro-active and has slightly changed the tide to put the other side a little on the defensive angle now. Which, is to be expected and any legal team advising the school would not be worth the massive legal fees if they did not take this route.
Yes, there is evidence.
One case of bullying was filmed and the video spread among the pupils. That led to four pupils being suspended. It turns out that the chairman of the board saw the video, which then led to the suspension.
It shouldn't be too difficult to dig up such a video and there is the documentation the school used for the suspension and the minutes from the meeting between the leadership at the school.
And then there are the letters of complaints from the parents to the suspended pupils, who described that that sort of behavior was fairly normal - and indulged - at the school.
So yes, there is something for the police to start working with.
The chairman said that he had hoped that the poor behavior at the school had been stamped out, but then this episode turned up. - And perhaps he believed or chose to believe that himself? If so, he did not live up to his responsibility.
As for the Conservatives. There is no doubt in my mind that among the members and voters of the Conservatives, there are a
lot of former pupils of Herlufsholm and parents to present pupils at Herlufsholm. These former pupils will also be among the donors and supporters of the Conservatives.
Way more than in the Liberal party.
The Liberals would be much more inclined to send their children to some of the other boarding schools in DK, if they are to send their children to a boarding school at all. As I said the Liberals represent a very wide spectrum of right wing voters, while the Conservatives represent a much more narrow segment.
The Social Democrats, who are not the least bit adverse to send their own children to private schools, if it suits them, would choose pretty much the same kind of schools as the Liberals.
There is a considerable overlapping among the political parties and their voters in DK.
I'm a liberal myself, but in some cases I very mush support the Social Democrats, in other cases I support the Danish Peoples Party (which is considered extreme right wing, they are not. They are slightly xenophobic and nationalist right-wing Social Democrats or left-wing Liberals.) In some cases I even think the far left Unity List (hardcore Socialists) have a few good points.
I have no problems voting for one party at the national election, while voting for another party for the municipal election, and voting for third party at the EU elections.
And I will consider myself a very normal voter.
Would it not be more in their interest and in the interest of their children to say that their children have never participated or turned a blind eye to any bullying?
Likewise, in regards to the monarchy and from the little I know of Danish society, I would think that, as many others have stated, it would be the most damaging if Christian, Nikolai, etc. were alleged to be perpetrators of bullying. In comparison, while (hypothetically) being one of the bullying victims would be unpleasant for the royal princes and princesses, I would not expect it to necessarily damage their reputations, and it might even attract sympathy for them from the public.
I think that was more or less implied.
I think you will have to look for a long time, before you find parents who are willing to admit in public that their children took part in bullying.
As for Christian. The laws about the press are strict here, especially in regards to minors.
Any paper will have to think
very carefully before even hinting that Christian should have taken part in bullying without clear evidence!
The journalist in question and the editor could end up in prison.
And that's not just because Christian is who he is.
If a paper of magazine claimed or even hinted that a named pupil at Herlufsholm or any other school, was a bully without evidence. They would end up in court. Without evidence this is serious and deliberate slander against a minor. The paper would lose a civil lawsuit hands down, and because they attacked a minor that would be such a serious breach of press ethics that it could very well end up in a prison sentence. Anyway the journalist and editor can certainly expect to lose their jobs.
Apart from that the public would crucify any paper daring to accuse Christian of being a bully without solid evidence.
Except you don't really. At least not if you have any intent on staying at the school. In that case, I think many would say that living with the bullying far outweighs the social repercussions of "telling" on a culturally accepted practice. That'd pretty much get you shunned socially which, for many, would render the stay at a school like Herlufsholm completely pointless. That's also part of why this culture has grown so ingrained.
