A 52-year-old refugee was attacked in the Asylum Seekers Center (AZC) in Gilze in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. The man is ‘violent’ robbed of his money and his phone. He was checked by ambulance personnel, but did not have to go to the hospital.
An AZC spokesperson confirms the incident. “The man has reported robbery and abuse in his room,” he says.
Religious motive?
In a video on X, the victim tells that he would have been attacked because he did not want to convert to Islam. He would also have been mistreated because he did not participate in Ramadan. The man belongs to the Jesidi community, a Kurdish-speaking minority.
The police are investigating the case. A spokesperson says that several scenarios are being viewed. “The man has been robbed of his money and telephone and has reported theft with violence,” she says. “We don’t know what exactly the reason for the abuse is, and whether the man’s religion plays a role in this. Only the perpetrator knows the motive.”
The police do let you know that there may be an insight into suspects. Whether it is one or more people and whether they live in the AZC is still unclear.
Sense of safety
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), which is responsible for the AZCs in the Netherlands, says it is shocked. “We have replaced the ditches to make the man feel safer. The security guards who are present on the site at night also walk extra rounds along his building.”