Seven men convicted of kidnapping 13-year-old boy
Seven men convicted of kidnapping a teenage boy have been given prison sentences of up to 29 years. The men took the 13-year-old from his home in Genk in 2020 and held him captive for 42 days.
Three of the men have been sentenced to 29 years, with the others receiving sentences of 15, 20 and 25 years. An eighth man, charged with providing a house in which the boy was held, was acquitted as his involvement could not be proved.
The boy was abducted from his home by armed and masked men posing as police officers. He was held at several properties for six weeks until his family paid a ransom. During searches of the kidnappers’ homes, police found firearms, money, balaclavas and ammunition.
The family paid a ransom of 300,000 euros in cash, gold and jewellery. 42 days after the kidnapping, on 1 June 2020, the boy was released and police arrested suspects in Antwerp and Limburg.
The boy's father is known to have been involved in the trade in illegal drugs.
Three of the men are brothers who were also found guilty of taking a man hostage and torturing him in a cellar in Antwerp province, shortly before the kidnapping of the teenager.
The Tongeren public prosecutor’s office had demanded sentences of between 30 years and life. Under Belgian law, anyone sentenced to 30 years can only apply for early release after having served 15 years. Those given sentences of less than 30 years can apply for early release once they have served one-third of their sentence.
#FlandersNewsService | © A court sketch of the victim of the kidnapping at the Assize Court of Limburg, in Tongeren, 30 April 2025 © BELGA PHOTO JONATHAN DE CESARE
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