More Violence in France & Belgium

Translated with thanks by R. Dunn.

Rise in the number of arson attacks in Maubeuge. A few weeks ago, wood, paper and a gas bottle were placed in the hallway of a block of flats in rue Valmy, before being set alight. Many basements in the center of town have also been targeted, as has been the local school La Joyeuse, where four fires were started a few days ago.


Anvers (Belgium): he tries to talk to youths - and gets stabbed. A man tried to appease a tense situation and seperate youths near a mini-golf club. He was stabbed twice and is seriously injured.


Montbeliard: trouble at the swimming pool. "Young swimmers" between the ages of 15 and 18 make their presence known by using the big diving board against the rules (the pool isn't deep enough in that area). The lifeguard who tries to step in is molested, thrown in the pool, then beaten when he climbs out. The swimming pool has been closed for a few days, and security is being tightened. This incident is surprisingly similar to another that took place at Oullins swimming pool, where youths used the diving board when the swimming pool was closed, before they hit and threatened the people working there and stole things.


Pont-Eveque (Isere): A 19 year old man was very seriously injured when he was stabbed multiple times, including in the throat. His aggressor, 20 year old Yanis Debouzza, who already has a police record, has been arrested.


Hainaut (Belgium): Motorists targeted by showers of rocks. The storyline is always the same. Motorists are driving down the road when all of a sudden, stones start landing on their cars.
"Apparently, these stones are being thrown by people in a car driving in the opposite direction".


Caen: Ludivine, 22, can only cry. A broken nose, two purple black eyes, the young blond woman was beaten by her boyfriend, Ge Lau. He is an illegal immigrant and has no papers. The couple were going to move into a council house.


Lille - a passer by starts getting cash out a machine. Yousef B. and Mohammed R. seize him. One of the pair gets him in a strangle hold, the other threatens to stab him if he doesn't give them his credit card code. The man is severely beaten, and the pair run off with his wallet. The man's two eyebrow areas are open wounds and he has 2 teeth missing.
"We had 5 euros left so we bought some grass. After, we went by a kebab shop and that made us hungry." says Yousef, who already has 3 convictions. Yousef gets 10 months without parole, and Mohammed 10 months.


Dunkerque. Djamel B. is sentenced to four months in prison for having slapped his concubine for 3 hours, without any explanation.