Two high school students have been placed under house arrest for two months after reportedly gay-bashing their schoolmate during the international day against homophobia celebrations in West Flanders, Belgium on May 17.
The suspects, 14 and 16, who allegedly committed the homophobic attack against a young boy, faced juvenile court for assault and the theft of a rainbow-colored pride flag. They were later placed under house arrest.
On Monday, images and videos of a young man being viciously mauled gained traction on social media after it was shared on Instagram. Pink News reported that authorities alleged that one of the suspects was assaulting the victim while the other filmed and uploaded it online.
The footage also reveals the moment the attackers defaced a rainbow flag hoisted at a court building in the Flemish Ardennes then threw it into the river Scheldt as they hurled insulting remarks against the LGBT community.
The suspect filming the attack can be heard saying, “What do you think? A homosexual day here?" The abuse occurred during the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) at the GO! Athenaeum school in Oudenaarde, reported NewsWep.
The victim was later identified by authorities to be an acquaintance of the suspects, all three are attending the same school.
Shortly after gloating about the attack online, the two juveniles were taken into custody by local police. The public prosecutor's office immediately launched its probe to determine whether homophobia was a factor in the alleged hate crime.
Two days later, the Oudenaarde youth judge released the teens under strict conditions. Aside from imposing house arrests for two months, the teens are told to perform community service for 20 to 40 hours.
The juveniles must also engage in an apprenticeship project focused on attack management.
Meanwhile, the figures to best compensate the victim remains unknown. The measures remain provisional and can be modified accordingly if deemed necessary by the youth judge.
GO! Atheneum Oudenaarde's general manager, Ciska Philips, slammed the attack, noting their institution has been lobbying hard to battle homophobia and the senseless hostility against the LGBT community.
"Respect and equality are our core values, with us there is no place for LGBT and transgender hatred," Philips said. "Unfortunately, this incident proves that it remains necessary to commit to respecting equality and tolerance. "
Several schools under Philips' supervision launched campaigns to mark the IDAHOBIT on Monday. GO! Atheneum Oudenaarde noted that homophobia remains the cause of a cascade of black or white thoughts in the community.
Students of the said school are being encouraged to be in their black and white attires during the next three days following the savage attack as a sign of solidarity.
Meanwhile, since entering the political arena, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has been vigorously advocating for the rights of women, minorities, and the LGBT community. In March, De Croo tweeted that, “In our country, there is no place for hatred. Love wins,” according to the Associated Press.
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