Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper): On June 9, 2023, three men from Hasselt-IZ, AB, and FE robbed a 16-year-old boy in Mechelen, stealing his scooter and phone. Sentencing is set for November 4.
On June 9 last year, three men from Hasselt went to Mechelen and got into a fight with a 16-year-old boy on Coxiestraat. The situation got serious when a gun was shown. Two witnesses saw everything and later helped the investigation. They reported that the men tried to drag the boy into a car but failed.
What happened during the Mechelen robbery?
The men didn’t manage to kidnap the boy, they did rob him of his electric scooter, mobile phone, and 20 euros before escaping. Prosecutor Catherine Van de Heyning shared details of the case, noting how important the witnesses’ statements were in figuring out what happened. The use of a gun and the attempted abduction made the crime more serious, prompting further investigation by the authorities.
A witness recorded the incident, helping police find three young men from Hasselt, IZ, AB, and FE. They discovered the stolen scooter and mobile phone in their car, along with a fake revolver. AB was identified as the main suspect.
AB’s lawyer said he went to Mechelen to buy an electric scooter for 550 euros but paid 600 euros and didn’t get his change back. The seller ran away, so AB went to the police and later tried to contact the seller’s family to get his money or scooter back. IZ’s lawyer asked for his acquittal, saying the video shows he didn’t touch the man, money, or scooter. The third man, FE, was called to take them to Mechelen, but he didn’t want to go. The sentence will be given on November 4.
