Last month a serious case of aggression took place at the Sint-Niklaas station. — © pvs
Sint-Niklaas –
A man was seriously assaulted by several young people at the Sint-Niklaas station after a discussion about 0.70 euros in toilet money got out of hand. “He suffered a serious head injury and was in intensive care for two days,” says a niece of the victim. “This has left its mark, both physically and mentally.”
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 10:46 PM
On February 19, the man had a chat with the toilet lady at the Sint-Niklaas station. Anyone who wants to go to the toilet there must pay 0.70 euros. Some young people refused to pay. “They even had counterfeit coins,” says the victim’s niece. The man himself prefers to remain anonymous. “He said if they couldn’t pay, they should go to the toilet elsewhere.”
Unconscious
It cost him dearly that he stood up for the toilet lady. “There was a heated discussion and one of the young people suddenly gave him a heavy blow. He fell backwards and hit his head against a pole and the radiator. When he was on the ground, he received a few more stamps,” said his niece.
The toll was heavy. The man lay unconscious on the ground in a large pool of blood from a head wound. “In the hospital they needed twenty stitches to close the wound. He also suffered a neck injury due to the blow against the heating,” says the niece.
Three suspects
The police confirm the facts and are looking for three suspects. “We take this very seriously. We are now trying to track down the perpetrators using camera images,” says spokesperson Kim Maes. There is also talk of two perpetrators. “A witness received several blows in the ribs from the suspects. He was in less serious shape,” says Maes
In the meantime, the man is improving. “He was allowed to leave the hospital again and even visited the toilet lady to hear how she was doing. But this has left deep marks on my uncle, both physically and mentally,” says his niece.
Decrease in incidents
The problems in the station area are known to the police. She does everything she can to guarantee safety. To this end, the force works together with, among others, the NMBS and the city council. “That collaboration started in 2012. Since then we have noticed a decrease in the number of incidents,” said the police spokesperson. “In 2012 there were still 773 and in 2022 it will be 455. That is a decrease of more than forty percent.”