The youths from Bruges who beat a 31-year-old into a coma in the early hours of Sunday morning were heavily intoxicated with alcohol and drugs, Het Nieuwsblad reported.
The teenagers, all between 14 and 17 years old, reportedly spent their Saturday night in several Bruges cafés, drinking alcohol while also consuming cannabis and pills. “They were far gone,” a source told Het Nieuwsblad.
Several bars had kicked the teens out for causing trouble, after which they found themselves on the Burg Square around 05:00, harassing and asking passers-by for cigarettes.
A 31-year-old man from Bruges fell victim to their “senseless” violence, as they asked him for a cigarette after which they brutally attacked him. The source said they kept kicking and punching him, even after he dropped to the ground.
One of the boys was defended by his lawyer, Didier Scheldeman, who said the boy had tried to stop his three friends. “That did not work. My client is very sorry about what happened. He did not want this.”
Racial element
The victim is a photographer from Sint-Kruis of Indian origins. According to information from Het Nieuwsblad, there were no racist motives behind the violence, though there were no questions asked on any potential racial element during the interrogation. The man’s family is too upset to comment.
The attack was so severe his life was put in danger, as he was beaten unconscious and left for dead on the ground. The man is now being kept in an artificial coma, but his condition is said to have stabilised.
Several perpetrators lost their personal belongings during the beating, such as mobile phones, wallets and keys, which made tracking down and identifying the culprits easier for the police. The boys are said to have a reputation in Bruges as they have often been under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The teenagers have been arrested for attempted manslaughter and sent to a juvenile detention centre by a court for young offenders.
