Police have searched the home of YouTuber Nathan Vandergunst, known as Acid, as part of an investigation launched after he named the perpetrator of a rape case in Leuven on his YouTube channel.
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Police search home of YouTuber Acid over naming of perpetrator in Leuven rape case
Sally Tipper
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The West Flanders public prosecutor’s office began the investigation a month ago, after Vandergunst shared the details of a gynaecology student who was found guilty by the Leuven court of rape and sexual assault of a fellow student but was not given a sentence.
The verdict caused significant outrage, with the man’s name shared on social media. Vandergunst mentioned his name several times in a video.
At around 9.00 on Thursday, the police raided Vandergunst’s home and seized his computer, VRT has learned. “The investigation is continuing. In the interests of the investigation, the public prosecutor’s office is not providing any further information at this time,” a spokesperson said.
Vandergunst was previously sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for three years, for mentioning the names of members of the Reuzegom student society in a YouTube video, following their conviction for involvement in the death of student Sanda Dia during a hazing in 2018.
“I know that I am on a suspended prison sentence for exactly the same thing I am doing here,” Vandergunst said in the latest video. “But I have decided that if they want to put me in prison for three months because I’m doing the same thing as last time, then so be it. (...) I am not ashamed of this, I am not stressed about putting it online. I think it’s important that everyone knows this.”
Disclosing people’s names or details without their consent can be a criminal offence.