A 21-year-old man involved in a serious stabbing is only receiving a reprimand 'because sentences are no longer carried out anyway'. That's the verdict of a case before Ghent’s juvenile court. At the same time, the court recognises that a reprimand is totally disproportionate to the facts: ‘The man is benefiting from the lack of resources and places in special youth care and his current age.’ The prosecutor's office is appealing the ruling.
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Ghent juvenile court only reprimands stabber 'because punishments are no longer carried out anyway'
Colin Clapson
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In September 2021 a 21-year-old man from Aalst attends a party in Ledeberg (Ghent) together with some friends to. There they are met by a local gang armed with truncheons, knuckle dusters and knives. The victim is beaten, kicked and stabbed three times with a knife.
The motive for the altercation has never been fully clarified. The gangsters were intent on a drill rap. This is a phenomenon that blew over from the United States: Young people display extreme violence in videos. ‘They imagined there were in a gangster movie,’ the verdict states.
Several adult offenders have since been sentenced. But one of the suspects was 17 at the time of the offences and therefore had to appear before a juvenile court. The case dragged on and the verdict only fell last Monday.
Only a reprimand
The verdict is striking to say the least. Although his part in the offences was proved, the offender only received a reprimand. That is the lowest possible punishment. The prosecution had sought a sentence of 220 hours community service or placement in a young offender’s centre for three months.
The court even acknowledged that the reprimand was ‘totally disproportionate to the facts’.
As an adult now the judge accepted that given the lack of places it was unlikely the offender would be detained at a youth detention centre. Community service would be an option, but if he did not comply, he would have to go to a youth detention centre, where there would be no room. So the juvenile court ruled that this made little sense and gave him the mildest punishment: a reprimand.
The prosecutor is appealing the verdict.