Dunedin students' love affair with burning couches has been rekindled for St Patrick's Day 'celebrations'. Video / Supplied
The mother of a student killed when she was crushed in a stairway is crestfallen at North Dunedin's St Patrick Day "carnage".
Elspeth McMillan's daughter, 19-year-old Sophia Crestani, died when she was caught in a stairwell pile-up at a Dundas St flat party, in October 2019.
McMillan, of Wellington, said she was "heartbroken" when she heard two students had been seriously injured during St Patrick's Day partying in North Dunedin on Thursday.
The comments came as it emerged yesterday that 28 partygoers were treated at Dunedin Hospital's emergency department. .
The Sophia Charter, set up in the wake of the 2019 tragedy, was a "really good programme" and she believed all partners were on board to improve the safety of student culture. She would not want to see other parents go through what her family had.
She acknowledged there would not be overnight change and there was still work to be done on getting through to students — as well as parents and alumni.
Students during the 2022 St Patricks Day at Castle St. Photo / Peter McIntosh
"Unfortunately, in New Zealand we have this terrible culture of binge-drinking and glorifying alcohol consumption," she said.
She wanted to see more students speaking up when situations were starting to get dangerous.
University of Otago vice chancellor Prof David Murdoch said Thursday's events were a matter of "profound sadness".
Students were given clear safety messages in advance of St Patrick's Day and he thanked emergency services and university staff for the "immense" work they had undertaken to try keep students safe.
The safety and wellbeing of students was a priority for the university and it would work with students who were found to breach disciplinary standards, he said.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said a 22-year-old who fell off a balcony in Park St was conscious and speaking yesterday.
A young man who was seriously injured after falling off a roof in Castle St had earlier been told to get down.
Southern District Health Board chief operating officer Hamish Brown said Dunedin Hospital's emergency department was already under strain due to Covid-19, but there was a "dramatic" increase in pressure on Thursday afternoon.
