Man beaten in Florennes on suspicion of paedophilia; three assailants arrested
A man in his fifties suspected of paedophilia was violently assaulted by three individuals in Florennes and is in a coma. His daughter has testified to the violence of the blows.
Violent assault in Florennes: man in coma following attack linked to paedophilia suspicions
A man in his fifties, suspected of sexual misconduct against a minor, was beaten by three individuals in Florennes, in the province of Namur. The victim was found unconscious in the middle of the street and has been in a coma since, according to several Belgian media outlets including Sudinfo, RTL Info and L'Avenir.
"We saw a man lying in the middle of the street, we even thought he was dead," says a passerby cited by Sudinfo. The incident took place in full public view, under the eyes of residents apparently shocked by the brutality of the altercation.
Blows "very violent" according to the victim's daughter
The victim's daughter agreed to testify to RTL Info. "The blows were very violent," she declared, confirming the severity of the injuries suffered by her father. The man was hospitalised in a critical condition following the assault.
Three individuals are suspected of having committed the attack. According to information reported by 7sur7.be and BruxellesToday, the assailants are said to have acted in reaction to the paedophilia suspicions weighing on the victim. The man was suspected of sexual assault on a minor.
Judicial investigation opened
The facts have been reported to the authorities and an investigation has been opened. Belgian justice will have to establish the exact circumstances of the assault, the identity of the three alleged perpetrators and any links between the parties.
The case raises a dual judicial dimension: on one hand, the paedophilia suspicions against the victim of the physical assault; on the other, the violence exercised by the three men who took the law into their own hands. Acts of vigilante justice of this type are subject to criminal prosecution in Belgium, regardless of the accusations made against the person targeted.
At this stage, no formal arrest has been publicly announced by the competent prosecutor's office, according to the information available at the time of publication.
Source: Google News BE FR