Belgian prime minster flies rainbow flag in response to gay man’s murder

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03/09/2021

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo flew the rainbow LGBTQ Pride flag outside his office on Tuesday in response to the fatal stabbing of a gay man in a park in Beveren, a city just outside of Antwerp. “In our country, there is no place for hatred. Love wins,” De Croo said in a tweet showing the rainbow flag. The body of the victim, identified as 42-year-old David Polfliet, of Sint-Niklaas, was found on Saturday in a local park. Police say they believe he was lured to the park by someone he met on a dating app, according to De Standaard. The following day, a 17-year-old from Antwerp, presented himself to police, who arrested and charged him with murder. Subsequently, a 17-year-old from Verrebroek, and a 16-year-old from Kieldrecht, turned themselves into police. The motive for the crime is still being investigated. Prosecutors say Polfliet was violently stabbed while in the park, but it is not clear whether the motive for the murder was prompted by deep-seated bias against gay men, or whether Polfliet was a victim of opportunity and the initial motive was robbery. If anti-gay bias is found to have played a role, the suspects — who would normally be charged as juveniles — could face more serious charges.

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