Brutal muggings and their consequences

Gang crime is a problem in Luxembourg, no question about it. While police are faced with ever more sophisticated criminals, the targets of these crimes are the everyday residents. Our reporters Tim Morizet and Lynn Cruchten spoke with victims about their experiences. This man was attacked in Belval after a night out.

"It was around 8pm and we had been out to dinner. Suddenly there were four people behind us. We didn't react immediately, after all it was just four people on bikes. And the next time we turned around, they all advanced on us. Suddenly there were a lot more and they immediately started shoving us and separating us. Three of them against one of us."
It was 4 against 15. It was still light out at this time in July, said the young student who wishes to remain anonymous. He and his friends did not want to resist, for fear of being massacred. The perpetrators threatened them with knives, and one of the victims was hit.

"I was scared for my life. They told me if I made a false move they would stab me. They took everything and then turned around and told us not to say anything."

The brutality of the attacks and the increased theft of watches, necklaces or other valuables out in the open are becoming more of a problem, says the police. The attackers in this particular case spoke Luxembourgish, were barely of legal age and mostly of north african descent.

The mother of one of the victims reports: "The white guy said he hadn't properly got him, so he hit him again. This really affected me. Thankfully, they didn't hit my son. But they squeezed his throat. He had trouble breathing for ages." One of the victims had their glasses smashed and a bloody nose.

Another mugging took place a few days after the national holiday. A 28 year old man was attacked near Centre Hamilius in Luxembourg City. In a letter to the editor, his father described the bad injuries his son sustained on his face, and called on politicians and those responible for security to do something, even if in this case, the perpetrator was caught.
Neither of these two attacks were included in the police bulletin. Upon request, police confirmed they both took place, however.

It's hard to say whether there has been an increase in these attacks in recent years, says the Minister for Police, Henri Kox. These aggressions exist, no doubt, but the focus had to be primarily on prevention.

"The use of violence is not acceptable. These are the areas where we intervene. But on the flipside, society has a duty to help with prevention, to improve the social structures. These are components that need to work together."

A further increase in brutality and the type of gang criminality known beyond our borders, such as in the Netherlands, must be avoided at all costs.

With this in mind, police are increasing their patrols both for prevention and repression. Meanwhile, residents are advised to always keep an eye on their valuables. If someone acosts them, they should loudly scream for help or immediately dial 113.