On 11 May 2006, a shooting occurred in the city centre of Antwerp. The gunman, 18-year-old student Hans Van Themsche, killed two people and severely wounded another, before being shot and incapacitated by a police officer. Van Themsche (born 7 February 1988, in Wilrijk, Antwerp, Flemish Region of Belgium) was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008.
The homicide received widespread media attention and drew major public and political attention to responsibilities regarding political presentation of immigrant and racial issues and its possible effects on individuals. De vermoorde onschuld ("The murdered innocence", here rather literally taken Dutch expression for ostensible innocence) by publicist Manu Claeys, 25 May 2006, on webzine (in the Netherlands) Ravage DigitaalMedia technologies and democracy in an enlarged Europe chapter: '4. Case-study: Blogs, online forums, public spaces and the extreme right in North Belgium' (in particular '4.2.2. The murder of Oulematou Niangadou and Luna Drowart'), Bart Cammaerts, Tartu University Press 2007, (print) (print) (PDF) (PDF)Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region: Incidents and Responses, Annual Report for 2006 PART I. Hate-Motivated Violence: Incidents and National Responses - p.63, p.68 (incl. footnotes 376 and, for the European Network Against Racism declaration, 377) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), 2007 (web retrieval 5 February 2010)
Course of events Van Themsche had been caught smoking at his boarding school on 9 May 2006, and was facing likely expulsion.
He travelled from Roeselare to Antwerp where, on the morning of the eleventh, he had his long hair cut and shaven off (apart from a ponytail) before legally purchasing a Marlin 336W hunting rifle in .30-30 Winchester and ammunition from a local weapons merchant. About ten minutes before noon, dressed in a Gothic fashion, he began his rampage in the city centre with a shot in the breast of a woman of Turkish descent who was seated six metres away on a bench reading a book; Songul Koç was severely wounded. He chambered another round and passed a pregnant Malian nanny, Oulemata Niangadou, and her two-year-old European charge, Luna Drowart. He turned and shot each of them in the back at close range, killing both instantly. While he moved on (presumably looking for more victims) Van Themsche was intercepted by a passing police officer, who held him at gunpoint and ordered him to surrender the rifle. After Van Themsche's refusal to put his weapon down and upon a suspicious movement, the officer fired once, neutralizing him with a shot to the stomach. Later on, Van Themsche's father would comment: "In my eyes, the policeman who shot down my son is a hero. I'm glad the man had so much courage, or else even more victims would have fallen." In 54 minuten veranderde alles ("In 54 minutes, everything changed") - Van Themsche's 11 May 2006 in great detail, journal Het Nieuwsblad, 26 September 2007 Moorden Antwerpen / Racisme was de drijfveer voor koele moordenaar ("Murders Antwerp / Racism was the motivation for cool blooded murderer"), journal (in The Netherlands) Trouw, 12 May 2006 Leiders extreemrechts zijn medeplichtig ("Leaders extreme right are also responsible"), web news VRT, 12 May 2006 Jonge dader bekent racistisch motief ("Young culprit confesses racist motive"), journal De Morgen, 13 May 2006 Gepest door allochtonen ("Harassed by allochthones"), journal Het Nieuwsblad, 13 May 2006 Quote. Peter Van Themsche, journal De Standaard, 13 May 2006
Van Themsche, while being treated in hospital, described himself as a skinhead and admitted to police – as he had before the murders to boarding school friends – to specifically targeting non-whites. Of the 2-year-old (white) child, Van Themsche said she was "in the wrong place at the wrong time". Her death, however, was not incidental, since he had to chamber a new round before each shot. He told his interrogators "the presence near a black was sufficient reason" to kill the toddler. According to his statement, his reason for targeting minorities was that youths of foreign descent used to bully him at school; that would have been at least three years earlier. A farewell letter found in his room – as he may not have expected to survive – did not declare the premeditated murderous intent to which he confessed but did reveal that he wanted to take action against self-perceived "chaos in society". Belgisch moordproces van start ("Belgian murder trial starts") journal (in The Netherlands) De Pers, 1 October 2007<ref name="VTM1_20060512"> Antwerpse killer wou "afrekenen met ordeloosheid in de samenleving" ("Antverpian killer wanted 'to get even with [or rid of] chaos in society"), web news anchor super moderator VTM: the News, 12 May 2006</ref>
At trial, the defense lawyers argued that Van Themsche suffered from Asperger syndrome and narcissistic personality disorder and was therefore insane. On 11 October, a jury of 12 citizens found Van Themsche guilty on all charges pressed against him, including the murder of Oulemata Niangadou and Luna Drowart. They also judged that the murders were motivated by racism. The next day, the jury and the three professional judges of the court of assizes sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Court of Cassation rejected Van Themsche's appeal in February 2008. Cassatie verwerpt beroep Hans Van Themsche ("[Court of] Cassation rejects appeal Hans Van Temsche"), journal De Morgen, 19 February 2008 By June 2009, civil lawsuits at Antwerp had recognized a total of nearly 325,000 euro for damages to victims' families and Songul Koç whom he had caused a permanent professional disability of 55 percent; further treatment costs would add to his dues. Van Themsche moet overlevend slachtoffer 180.000 euro betalen ("Van Themsche has to pay 180,00 euro to surviving victim"), journal De Morgen, 26 June 2009
Early declarations The King and the Prime Minister reacted within hours: Albert II sent a message to the victims' families; the Royal Palace press service explicitly reminded on the King's well-known perspective on racism and violence to have been illuminated in his January speech before the several Institutions of the country. Guy Verhofstadt was quoted as saying: "These horrific, cowardly murders are a form of extreme racism. It should be clear to everyone now where extreme right can lead to." Koning stuurt boodschap naar families van slachtoffers schietpartij ("King sends message to shooting victims' families"), journal Het Laatste Nieuws (web retrieval 11 May 2006 21:15) Schutter neef parlementariër Vlaams Belang "Shooter nephew parliamentarian Vlaams Belang", journal (in The Netherlands) De Telegraaf, 12 May 2006 Verhofstadt veroordeelt racistische moord ("Verhofstadt condemns racist murder"), journal Gazet van Antwerpen, 12 May 2006 (web retrieval 5 February 2010) The president of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, noted that the succession of attacks "shows that the step from xenophobic talk to crime is, unfortunately, possible".
Murderer's background and alleged responsibility of Vlaams Belang and its voters Though the Antwerp public prosecutors said "on first investigation of his environment and family [Hans] seems not to be brought up in a racialist or violent setting" and the family became described as "well-behaved" and as having an "impeccable Flemish-nationalist pedigree" De clan Van Themsche is overtuigd maar ,,braaf" Vlaams-nationalistisch ("Van Themsche clan is convinced but "well-behaved" Flemish nationalistic"), journal Het Nieuwsblad, 13 May 2006 Schutter Antwerpen had geen vooropgezet plan ("Shooter Antwerp didn't have premeditated plan"), journal (in The Netherlands) Trouw, 12 May 2006 — the fact that the gunman's aunt, Frieda Van Themsche, was a member of parliament for the large far-right party with anti-immigrant rhetoric Vlaams Belang, immediately brought press attention to the murderer's family background. In World War II, the twin brothers Van Themsche voluntarily fought on the side of their country's occupier, Nazi Germany, in Waffen SS uniform against the Soviets on the Eastern Front, costing one brother's life and Hans' grandfather Karel a leg; in the sixties he joined the Volksunie, in 1978 following Karel Dillen into its hard-right split-off Vlaams Blok. Also his children Frieda and Peter, who would about ten years later father Hans, were earliest day members and became militants.Far-right ties in Belgian murders, web news BBC, 12 May 2006Skinhead Rampage Highlights Belgium's Race Anxiety, newsmagazine Time, 12 May 2006 Karel van Themsche's daughter Frieda's website - Biografie (web retrieval 27 May 2006 22:00) Le racisme meurtrier du Vlaams Belang ("Racism murderer of Vlaams Belang") Citation 1: "Son père, Peter, est un militant de la première heure de l’ex-Vlaams Blok, crée en 1978 par des nationalistes flamands et d’anciens collabos." ("His father, Peter, is a militant of the first hour for the ex-Vlaams Blok, created in 1978 by Flemish nationalists and former collaborators.") - Citation 2: "Paul Beliën, idéologue du parti, assimilait sur son site Internet les personnes d’origine arabe " à des fauves assoiffés de sang, qui ont appris lors de leur fête annuelle à égorger le mouton ". Et appelait les Flamands à se débarrasser d’eux. Le titre de son pamphlet xénophobe ? " Donnez-nous des armes. " Hans a pris la sienne." ("Paul Beliën, [Vlaams Belang] party ideologist, on his web site assimilated the persons of Arab origin 'with bloodthirsty tawny-coloureds, who have learned from their yearly feast to cut the sheep's throat'. And called upon the Flemish to get rid of them. The title of his xenophobe pamphlet? 'Give us weapons'. Hans took up his.") journal (in France) l'Humanité, 19 May 2006WW2 Axis and Foreign Volunteer Legion Military Awards & Postal History - Flemish Feldpost (Link underneath to Front Page allows accessing its Bibliography etc), R. Chavez, (web retrieval 27 May 2006)
On 12 April, Vlaams Belang MP Alexandra Colen's husband Paul Beliën, named a Vlaams Belang ideologist and a publicist, reportedly had called upon the Flemish people to get rid of people of Arab origin in a pamphlet titled "Give us weapons". That title referred to a 1963 –then obviously figurative– outcry reportedly ascribed to the later Prime Minister Martens that was related to disputes between Belgian speakers of Dutch and of French. Beliën withdrew his text upon an official complaint by the Centre for Equal Opportunities and Fight against Racism (CEOFR or CGKR).<ref name="Martens1"> De memoires: ‘luctor et emergo’ ("The Memoirs: 'luctor et emergo'''"), page 57, W. Martens, publisher Lannoo Uitgeverij, 2006 </ref>Critical Reflections on the Participative Nature of Blogs pages 15-16, Bart Cammaerts (London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Media and Communications), American University of Paris March 2008