Year in prison for brutal extortion of underage boy

The victim was tricked and robbed because he allegedly sent messages to the girlfriend of one of the suspects. The public prosecutor demanded a year in prison.

The facts took place on November 29, 2022 at the Gistel Market. Together with a minor companion, Gistelnaar AB and Oostendenaar CB approached the victim. AB asked if the young man had sent text messages to his girlfriend. The victim denied it, but was still dealt with harshly. He was severely beaten and was forced to hand over his jacket and fanny pack. Moreover, the entire incident was filmed.

“Lost the bag”

Based on the camera images, the perpetrators were quickly apprehended. AB initially claimed that he was only filming, but his own images showed that he also intimidated the victim. CB forced him to hand over his jacket, while the minor perpetrator emptied the fanny pack.

The defense argued that AB wanted revenge for the messages to his girlfriend. In his own words, he completely lost his bearings because of this. According to his lawyer, CB allowed himself to be dragged along by his co-defendant. The defense proposed suspending sentences for both defendants.