Tuesday marked the second day of a trial revolving around a brawl that took place on Valentine's Day 2016. The fight broke out in front of a nightclub in Luxembourg City and involved three policemen and both current and ex-soldiers.
Five witnesses, who were either actively or passively involved, testified, but only two statements proved to be valid. Two other witnesses prompted more confusion than clarity, and a third had not understood much of what went on.
The fight consisted two parts: a smaller one that was then followed by the main fight implicating more people. One of the witnesses, who was involved in the main altercation, said he saw how a police officer went to hit one of his friends. When he tried to intervene, the policeman then hit him, causing him to fall to the ground. When he had wanted to get up, another policeman got him in a chokehold, and he was only freed when one of his friends kicked the policeman in question.
When another friend called for them to leave, it became clear that the policeman, who had originally hit the witness, was not letting off. The witness then proceeded to tell them about the injuries he sustained, injuries he had not reported at the time for fear it would cause problems for his career as a soldier. The man finally asked for €15,000 compensation of each of the two policemen.
A young woman recounted the initial dispute. After her boyfriend had remarked – apparently without aggressive intent – that the police officers were “Differdange cops”, the officers descended upon him, rendering his face bloody. The confrontation only stopped when other outsiders intervened.
The trial for wilful assault continues on Wednesday.
