The management of Charles University (CU) and the Faculty of Arts (CU FA) summarize the situation and the procedures to which the university has resorted in recent hours.
- The main building of CU FA is secure at the moment but remains closed until further notice for obvious reasons. We will keep you informed about the further procedure and also remind you that the Management of CU FA has announced a dean’s leave until 2 January 2024 inclusive.
- Personal belongings that were left in the building in an appropriate condition after Thursday’s attack are being released at the Faculty of Law of the Charles University in nám. Curieových 7 (Prague 1), for whose cooperation we are grateful. The next drop-off date for personal belongings will take place on Wednesday, 27 December 2023, between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon, again at the Faculty of Law building.
We would also like to thank the Czech Red Cross, who, in agreement with the CU crisis staff, under the supervision of security personnel and technicians, arranged for the sorting of items and their transport to the PF UK during tonight’s event. A number of volunteers participated in the whole event, and many thanks are due to the Management of the CU and CU FA.
- The University is still calling on everyone if they feel any need for psychological help to use it – it is offered not only by the CU (information can be found here HERE), but also by the free crisis line of the Police of the Czech Republic: +974 823 158. Please do not hesitate to ask for help.
- Although the CU management (the CU Central Crisis Staff) has received a number of urgings in recent hours to publish the list of names of the victims of Thursday’s tragic shooting, it hereby declares that it will not publish the names, especially for reasons of remembrance. This is not only an agreement with the Czech Police, but also to protect the personal data of the victims.
- Charles University is grateful for the support and cohesion of the entire university community and the words of comfort from the general public that have come not only from the Czech Republic but from all over the world. We are also grateful for the financial support that comes from hundreds of donors to the CU Endowment Fund, which currently totals more than CZK 30 million. The CU will decide and transparently inform about the specific steps of spending the Endowment Fund (for obvious reasons only at the beginning of 2024).
- The Management of CU welcomes the opening of debates on the strategy of security at universities and is ready to actively participate in it, as well as the convening of a meeting of rectors with the Minister of the Ministry of Education, representatives of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the Czech Police, where the aim will (hopefully) be the creation of a joint strategy to ensure the security of universities and standards of security in buildings.
- We greatly appreciate and thank all those who are doing their part to help resolve the situation and find ways to cope with the current situation. We would like to thank all the volunteers, all those involved from the Dean’s Office of CU FA, the Rector’s Office, students of CU FA and all other faculties, as well as all the people who help selflessly and willingly with good will. This work also helps us all to cope with this terrible tragedy.
- The Management of CU together with the Management of CU FA, reiterates its unceasing regret and sorrow for the lives lost and for the losses that have been indelibly etched in the souls of us all. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all the survivors, families and friends of the victims.
CU will continue to provide organizational, material and psychological support to all those in need in the coming days, while at the same time striving to ensure a peaceful return to campus for all those affected. CU and our society will never again be the same as we knew it until the tragic afternoon of December 21, 2023.
Our thoughts are with you all in these difficult Christmas times marked by pain and loss.
Thank you for being with us during this difficult time.
CU Central Crisis Staff
Prague, 23 December 2023, 5:00 pm
