A Belgian court in Hasselt sentenced a 49-year-old man to 24 months in prison and fined him €800 on Wednesday for assaulting and injuring a bus driver from the Flemish transport company De Lijn, while the victim was awarded nearly €40,000 in damages.
The incident occurred in Leopoldsburg on 27 March 2024. At approximately 19:30, the bus driver contacted dispatch to report being attacked by a passenger and sustaining injuries. Police swiftly intervened and apprehended the intoxicated assailant shortly after the assault.
The altercation began when the bus driver asked the man to leave the vehicle for refusing to sit and for banging on a window. The situation escalated, leading to the assault on the De Lijn driver.
The court described the actions as “socially unacceptable.”
