Elite Swedish boarding school closed after hazing ritual

An elite Swedish boarding school has been temporarily shut down after repeated incidents of bullying and hazing, various reports said Wednesday.

Lundsbergs, which is the alma mater of Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and has been described as Sweden’s version of English boarding school Eton, will be closed until its management can show it has taken steps to guarantee the safety of the roughly 200 students enrolled there.

The decision came after two students were burned with an iron during a hazing ritual last weekend. One of the boys ended up in hospital.

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate, which ordered the school’s closure, had received numerous reports of bullying and abuse at the school and had warned authorities on a number of occasions to do something about the practices.  

The latest incident was the final straw.

"Phenomena that are regarded as inacceptable in society at large have become normalized" at Lundsbergs, the Swedish Schools Inspectorate said in a report ordering the school’s closure.

The Swedish Teachers Union welcomed the decision and praised the watchdog for finally “flexing its muscle.”