Night patrol leader warns student parties could end in disaster

Jakob Bové, head of Denmark’s Natteravnene volunteer night patrol group, has warned that parties for new upper secondary students can become a “disaster waiting to happen”, DR reports. He said the events combine large crowds of young people, alcohol, possible drug use and peer pressure.

Police and 17 Natteravnene volunteers were present at Folkeparken in Roskilde on Friday when upper secondary students held a party. A stabbing near the park left a 16-year-old boy dead.

The so-called puttefester are held for new first-year students and bring together students from upper secondary schools in parks across the country.

Bové said Natteravnene had observed a boundary-crossing culture at the events. As part of the tradition, new students wear white T-shirts on which their classmates write what he described as derogatory or sexual comments.

“It is an unfortunate development that has continued. It shows the lack of boundaries that can exist at these parties,” Bové said.

Roskilde Mayor Tomas Breddam of the Social Democrats and Henrik Nevers, principal of Roskilde Gymnasium, have both said the town should not host a puttefest.

But Bové said it would be difficult to ban an unofficial party organised by the students themselves. Instead, he said, schools should ask students what they want so that the tradition does not simply repeat itself.

Principals and education leaders in Roskilde have decided to meet on Tuesday morning. Before the meeting, the mayor called for the puttefester to be stopped.