Sophia Crestani's parents Bede Crestani and Elspeth McMillian speaking to reporters. Photo: Tess Brunton/RNZ
The father of an Otago University student who died at an overcrowded house party says "it's only a matter of time" before another family loses their child.
Dunedin police say this week's student antics on Saint Patrick's Day were some of the worst they've seen with drinking from 4am, couch-burning and half-a-dozen people hit in the head by flying glass bottles.
Hundreds of people also travelled to the city to join students partying on the streets.
Sophia Crestani died after being crushed on a staircase pile-up at a party hosted in a student flat known as The Manor in October 2019.
The coroner found her death was a tragic but likely preventable accident and made several recommendations, including that Otago University review its approach to disciplining and punishing students after big events that breach its code of conduct.
Her father, Bede Crestani told Checkpoint he was horrified to hear of the incidents in Dunedin on St Patrick's Day.
"Also, seeing students on roofs, it just feels like it's a bell curve and at some point someone's going to die again."
A culture change from the students themselves would have the best long term result, he said.
"Parents have a big role to play, we constantly hear of parents saying I did it in my day, you go ahead and do it, it's all a bit of a laugh, and the latest students do more.
"Unfortunately we visit our daughter at a grave, so we know it's not a possibility, it has happened and it's likely."
Sophia Crestani. Photo: Facebook
Crestani said Otago University was the best in the country in terms of academic achievement but the drinking culture needed to change.
He said government agency support was needed to urgently review safety and whether Otago University had been let down by out of towners and non-students causing problems.
Liquor stores and supermarkets also needed to "step up and see the harm that their products cause".
"There are single sales that could stop, they could limit bottle sales, stop bottle sales at particular events, they could reduce the hours that they're operating..."
Crestani said he was focused on law change, continuing to advocate for safety and speaking up "when dumb things happen".
Otago University's director of student services Claire Gallop said the issue of "interlopers" in North Dunedin on St Patrick's day continued to cause concern.
She said the university was told a large number of students from other tertiary institutions planned to travel to the southern city on Monday.
It was "disappointing" the actions of a few reflect poorly on all Otago University students.
While the university code of conduct could apply to Otago University students, it had no jurisdiction over those not enrolled there.
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