In the latest of a spate of shootings in Brussels, a 19-year-old man was shot and hospitalised last night.
Like many of the recent shootings in the Capital Region, it took place near the Clemenceau metro station in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht – in Rue Ruysdael this time. According to the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office, the victim was shot in the thigh, but his life is not in danger.
While an investigation is continuing to determine the circumstances of the events and the context in which they occurred, many assume that this shooting – like the previous ones – is related to the drug environment.
It seems like young people are increasingly getting involved in organised crime. In February, the gunmen with Kalashnikovs at Clemenceau metro station were visibly young and inexperienced, as shown by the CCTV footage. Additionally, one of the victims killed in that spate of shootings between rival gangs was only 19 years old.
This is true in Brussels, but also in the rest of the country. Only yesterday, Belgium announced that it was joining seven other Member States in setting up a Europol taskforce to tackle "violence-as-a-service" – a new phenomenon where criminal organisations engage young people to commit acts of violence in return for payment.
Like this, violent acts are outsourced to criminal service providers – often involving the use of young perpetrators to carry out threats, assaults, or even killings for a fee. Find out more information in our article about it.
Belgium in Brief
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1. ‘Violence-as-a-service’: Belgium joins Europol to tackle gangs recruiting children
Organised crime groups in Europe, including Belgium, have been increasingly exploiting young people to commit serious crimes to avoid detection. Read more.
2. Workplace stress killing over 10,000 people a year in Europe
A rise in work-related depression, suicides and coronary heart disease deaths suggests that stress poses a greater danger to EU workers than physical accidents. Read more.
3. EU citizenship is not for sale, Court of Justice rules
The court argued that such "commercialisation" reduces the nationality of a Member State to a mere business transaction. Read more.
4. ‘China Targets’: How Beijing found a friend in a small Belgian town
A local Belgian politician has edged too close for comfort to one of the world's most powerful regimes. Read more.
5. Belgian-Latvian co-production ‘Flow’ awarded prize by European Parliament
The animated film follows a black cat navigating a world impacted by a major flood. Read more.
6. Up to 27°C in Belgium on Wednesday
The warm, sunny weather is expected to continue into Thursday, Friday and the weekend before temperatures dip next week. Read more.
7. Open-air film festival returns to Brussels from 27 June to 15 July
The event will offer free outdoor screenings across all 19 municipalities of Brussels. Read more.
