Limburg police and the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s Office have arrested six minors foiling a potential attack on a school in the city of Hasselt. The minors were all members of the same chat group on social media website TikTok. Threats to commit arson were made in the group and there was also talk of an attack against the school and members of the school management using chemical substances. According to the police and the public prosecutor’s office the attack could potentially have gone ahead a few days later. The suspects have meanwhile all appeared in juvenile court.
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Potential chemical attack on Hasselt school foiled after TikTok messages are intercepted
Colin Clapson
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A few weeks ago, Limburg police received a report from several members of the management team at a school in Hasselt. They had become aware of a group on social media website TikTok in which threats about chemical attacks and arson were being made. The group also referred to school shootings, extremist groups and other violent incidents from the past.
The group turned out to consist of a number of anonymous members. The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police took immediate action and launched an urgent investigation to establish the members’ identities receiving the assistance of various internet service providers.
Six minors arrested within 24 hours
That very same day, six minors, all pupils at the school in question, were identified and arrested. The charge of ‘threatening to carry out an attack’ was formulated. The six suspects have since all appeared before juvenile magistrates in the towns of Hasselt and Tongeren (Limburg). The public prosecutor’s office is not commenting further as the suspects are minors.
It is as yet unclear which school was the target and what the impact on the school has been. The investigation by the youth crime unit of the local police zone continues under the direction of the public prosecutor’s office.
Online reports taken very seriously
“The speed with which we acted may have prevented something untoward from happening,” the police and the public prosecutor’s office say. “The public prosecutor’s office issued the necessary warrants very quickly, enabling us to act swiftly,” explains Chief Constable Philip Pirard. This prevented the school from potentially falling victim to an attack a few days later.
Both the police and the public prosecutor’s office emphasise that threats of this kind made online are taken very seriously. “Young people need to be very aware of which online groups they join,” says Anna Degraen of the public prosecutor’s office.
“If they come across messages that are unacceptable, it is of the utmost importance that they report this to the police,” Degraen continues. “Young people – and, by extension, society as a whole – must be aware that posting extremist messages and threats is absolutely unacceptable and will be dealt with appropriately by the police and the judicial authorities.”