Emma Devoddere (25) had imagined her Sunday completely differently. Around 8.30 am she and a group of friends were on the replacement bus from Kortrijk to Menen after a night out. But soon she was harassed by some youths.
“I stood at the door of the bus and put my hand on the window,” Emma begins her story. “Suddenly he started stroking my hand in a very strange and uncomfortable way. I immediately pulled my hand away and told him to stop. Then he started tapping on the window. I told him to stop again, kept my hand closer to me, but then he even started hitting the window.”
Bruised ribs
The group tried to get off the bus and onto the train as quickly as possible, but they were chased by two of the young people. “I heard from the police that they pushed my head to the ground, and I also got a blow in the face. They kicked my buddy on the head while he was lying on the ground. That is super cowardly. They kicked my friend on the ribs and in his lungs. He has three bruised ribs.”
The consequences are serious. Everyone in the group of friends is unable to work, including Emma. “I have to go to the doctor soon, because when I see how blue it is, it might be my ribs. It really has an impact. Not only physically, but also mentally. We are already preparing for the next time: we will intervene more quickly. For example, I will call the police more quickly, maybe even from the bus if I feel unsafe.”
