A court in the East Flemish town of Oudenaarde has acquitted 17 people that were on trial for being members of a private militia. One member of the group was fined 800 euro after he was found guilty on a separate charge of possession of pepper spray.
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Suspects accused of being part of a private militia acquitted, one man fined for possession of pepper spay
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Three years ago police raided a house in the village of Viane, near Geraardsbergen in East Flanders. This was during one of the corona pandemic lockdowns and at that time meetings of any kind were banned. During the raid police found several weapons, including 8 crossbows. Nazi paraphernalia, including swastikas and photographs of Hiltler were also found at the house. In addition to this police also found photographs of “targets” that had been damaged by crossbow bolts.
The Public Prosecutor’s office believed that this was sufficient evidence to bring 17 suspects to trial. Prosecutors asked the court to impose sentences of between 6 and 26 months imprisonment and fines of between 800 and 4000 euro for possession of illegal weapons and being part of a private militia. The alleged leader of the group Tomas Boutens risked the stiffest sentence. He has a previous conviction dating from his time as leader of the neo-Nazi group ‘Bloed Bodem Eer en Trouw’ (Blood, Ground, Honour and Loyalty)
However, the court ruled that the allegations of membership of a private militia to be not proven and all 17 accused were acquitted. One of those on trial was convicted on a separate charge of possession of illegal weapons, in this case pepper spray. He was fined 800 euro, half of which is suspended.