Belgian motorist who drove toward Jews convicted of intimidation
A Belgian court convicted a man who intentionally drove
his car into a group of Jews of intimidation but cleared him of attempted murder.
According to the Belga news agency, the court on Friday
sentenced the 42-year-old man from Beveren to 12 months in jail and a $780 fine
for driving his car while under the influence of alcohol into a group of Jews
in Antwerp during the Passover holiday last year.
On April 12 2012, the man drove his car onto the sidewalk
and into a group of five young Orthodox Jews, who jumped out of the way before
he could hit them.
The man, who was not named in the Belga report and in
other Belgian media, was charged with attempted murder but the judge determined
he only wanted to “intimidate” the group.
Just before the incident, he made an obscene gesture at
an Orthodox Jew he passed by on the street and cursed a number of other Jews,
Belga reported.
The man’s lawyer said in court that he had “a serious
drinking problem.”
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