Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A 19-year-old and a second defendant face hate crime charges for violent attacks on gay men via Grindr. Prosecutor demands 15 and 6 years; court decision on June 25.
As VRT News reported, the public prosecutor is asking for a 15-year prison sentence for the main suspect and a 6-year prison sentence for the second defendant for violent attacks on gay men via Grindr in Brussels. He is also 19 years old. The prosecutor says his involvement in the crimes was less than the other defendant’s.
During the last court hearing, both young men said they did not have anything against homosexuals. They claimed their anger was only directed at pedophiles. One of the defendants admitted to having extreme beliefs. He explained that he used pictures of young men to attract victims.
He believed anyone who responded was a pedophile and should be punished. They selected Grindr, a dating app specifically for gay men. He mentioned that this app was easier to manipulate than other apps like Tinder.
They could create fake profiles without having to prove who they were. The Brussels public prosecutor pointed out that they deliberately targeted homosexual individuals. The prosecutor described the case as very unusual and said it was a hate crime.
“We are talking about victims who were attacked solely because they are gay. This aggression is unacceptable. I hear the defendants minimize the facts and a sickening confusion of homosexuals and pedophiles. These are serious facts, this is as bad as manslaughter,”
Officials said.
What sentence will the court impose on the attackers?
The lawyers for both defendants asked for shorter sentences. The main suspect’s lawyer wanted a 5-year sentence with a chance to be supervised instead of being in prison. They said the suspect was depressed, used drugs and alcohol, and had a wrong view of homosexuality because of what he saw online.
The second defendant’s lawyer also wanted a lighter sentence, because his client was less involved. The victims, who are the civil parties in the case, talked about how much they suffered. Many are now afraid and have changed how they act to seem more “manly” to avoid more attacks. They said it was very serious to be targeted and victimised just for being gay, which made the beatings and robberies even worse. The court will announce its decision on June 25, 2025.
“My client has worked hard on himself over the past year,”
Said the lawyer, who asked the court to impose an autonomous probation sentence on the 19-year-old.
From April to June 2024, police received several reports of men being attacked after using the dating app Grindr in Brussels. The victims were tricked into going to a park, thinking they were meeting someone for a date. But when they got there, they were ambushed and beaten up. The attacks were often very violent.
One victim lost teeth and needed many surgeries. In some cases, the attackers used knives and forced the victims to give them their bank cards and PIN numbers. These attacks caused serious injuries, and the victims were robbed and threatened, leaving them scared and with financial losses.
After a thorough investigation, the police arrested 3 people, including a minor. The main suspect, a 19-year-old, was identified as the person who contacted the victims on Grindr and set up the meetings in the park.
“Being gay is not a choice; these people have become victims of serious crimes, just because of who they are”
Officials said.
During the trial of the 2 adults, the prosecutor said the crimes were planned and asked for a 15-year prison sentence for the main suspect. The prosecutor explained that the attacks were premeditated, with the suspects working together to trap and rob the victims.
“I hear a sickening confusion of homosexuals and pedophiles. These are serious facts, this is as bad as manslaughter. “
Public prosecutor
