Antwerp's political world reacted with shock to the death of an 11-year-old child killed on Monday by a gunshot that may have been linked to intimidation or the settling of scores between drug dealers.
"Children have nothing to do with any drug war," Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden (Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, CD&V) said on Twitter. "We will do everything we can to catch these ruthless criminals."
"The unthinkable has happened: an 11-year-old child shot dead in the war between drug dealers in Antwerp," said Peter Mertens, secretary general of the Workers Party of Belgium (PTB/PVDA). "The fight against drug-related violence is a complex issue. It needs resources, but maybe also a different approach."
Several other children seriously injured
Ilse van Dienderen, leader of the Groen group in Antwerp, was at a loss for words when she heard that a child had been killed in drug-related violence. "Indescribable," she wrote on Twitter. A child victim of drug violence! This is shocking!"
"Terribly sad news," commented Antwerp alderman Annick De Ridder (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA). "I offer my condolences to the parents, family and friends," she said. "My anger is directed at the corrupt environment that caused this tragedy."
Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open VLD) said several other children had been seriously injured. "The drug mafia cannot sink any lower than this," he commented. "The police and the public prosecutor's office are doing everything they can to find and convict those responsible."
