Tienen (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Two men in Tienen were convicted for harassing a trans woman, making Holocaust comparisons, and threatening her with a knife. One received a 10-month prison sentence and an €800 fine, while the other got 12 months and an €800 fine.
At the train station in Tienen, two men, who are related, were mean to a trans woman. They started by saying hurtful things to her, like comparing her to what happened to Jewish people during the Holocaust. They even said awful things like “People like you should be killed and treated like the Jews were.” It showed a lot of hate and prejudice.
What does the Tienen case reveal about hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals?
It has been said that the situation became more serious when one of the men threatened the trans woman with a knife, telling her he would give her “a knife with which she should kill herself.” This frightening threat not only showed their hatred but also highlighted how dangerous it can be for marginalized individuals. This incident raises important concerns about safety and the ongoing problem of hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness, support, and legal protections to ensure the safety and dignity of everyone, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
After the incident at the train station in Tienen, where two men harassed and threatened a trans woman with hateful words, both men were found guilty because of witness statements and security camera footage. One of the men was given a 10-month prison sentence and fined 800 euros for promoting hate. The court said his comments, which compared the woman’s existence to the Holocaust, were especially terrible and showed a serious violation of laws against hate speech and discrimination.
The second man had to pay an 800 euro fine and got a longer prison sentence of 12 months because he threatened the trans woman and told her to hurt herself. The court is serious about stopping hate crimes and wants to hold people responsible for their actions, showing that everyone deserves a safe and respectful environment. The judge said that the facts were not okay and mentioned that both men have a bad criminal record and don’t seem to understand what they did wrong.
