Six individuals were sentenced by the Ghent Court of First Instance on Monday for assaulting a gay man in Eeklo, East Flanders, claiming they were "paedophile hunters".
The attack occurred on 1 September 2024, when three youths forced their way into the home of two men in Eeklo. After breaking down the front door, one of the occupants was violently assaulted.
The suspects admitted targeting this residence after hearing rumours that a paedophile lived there, stating that they intended to "hunt paedophiles".
During the altercation, insults such as "dirty homo" and "dirty paedophile" were shouted. Police later identified several suspects.
That same night, the group reportedly committed other acts of vandalism, including smashing a law office’s window and damaging a moped. A week earlier, Eeklo had already been the scene of similar vandalism.
One of the youths reoffended after his initial release, resisting police during his arrest. He received a three-year suspended prison sentence under certain conditions and an €800 fine.
Another suspect was placed in a psychiatric facility, while a third was handed a suspended two-year sentence. Additional sentences included 20, 15, and six months in prison, as well as 60 hours of community service.
Unia, the Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities, petitioned to join the case as a civil party but was denied by the court.
