Belgian Court Acquits Teen in Self-Defense Stabbing Case

A 19-year-old woman from Zwijndrecht has been acquitted of attempted manslaughter after the Correctional Court of Antwerp ruled that she acted in legitimate self-defense when she stabbed a 29-year-old man in the city’s university district. The verdict, delivered on May 22, 2026, brings a close to a case that began nearly a year earlier with a violent confrontation on the Grote Kauwenberg.

The Incident

The stabbing occurred in the early morning of Saturday, June 28, 2025. According to court documents and witness testimony, the then-18-year-old defendant and her 21-year-old friend were returning home after a night out in Antwerp. Both were intoxicated and had lost their way, prompting them to ask a passerby for directions.

As reported by VRT NWS, a 29-year-old man on a bicycle passed by and shouted “lekker ding” (“hot stuff”) at the women. He stopped and asked if they wanted to go with him. The man, who had a blood alcohol level of 2.7 promille — more than five times the legal driving limit — was aggressive and pushy in his behavior.

The passerby who was helping the women told the cyclist to leave them alone. The intoxicated man then attacked the passerby, and a physical altercation broke out involving both women. During the fight, the 18-year-old woman took a knife from her handbag and made stabbing motions. She later told police she did not know if she had hit the man.

The victim sustained a superficial wound to the neck and a stab wound under the right breast. A concierge from the University of Antwerp, woken by the commotion, called emergency services. Nurses from a nearby care center provided first aid before a Mobile Urgent Medical Team (MUG) arrived.

Legal Proceedings

The two women fled the scene but voluntarily reported to police in Temse later that same morning. The suspect was brought before an investigating judge on June 29, 2025, and was released under undisclosed conditions. The victim’s condition was reported as stable.

In the months that followed, the case proceeded to trial. The Public Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged that the victim had provoked the stabbing and recommended a sentence of 220 hours of community service and an €800 fine. However, the defense argued for full acquittal on grounds of legitimate self-defense.

The court’s decision hinged on additional CCTV footage that was analyzed during the proceedings. After reviewing the evidence, the Correctional Court of Antwerp ruled that all conditions for legitimate self-defense under Belgian law had been met, and the woman was acquitted of all charges.

Belgian Self-Defense Law

Under Belgian criminal law, legitimate self-defense (“wettige verdediging”) is a ground for excluding criminal liability. According to Advo-Recht.be, four conditions must be satisfied: there must be an unlawful attack, the attack must be imminent and unavoidable, the defense must be against persons rather than property, and the defensive response must be proportional to the attack.

In this case, the court found that the victim’s aggressive, intoxicated behavior constituted an unlawful attack that was imminent — he had already assaulted the passerby and was physically engaging the women. The defense was of persons, not property, and the use of a knife was deemed proportional given the circumstances, including the victim’s extreme intoxication and the fact that the women were outnumbered.

Significance of the Ruling

The verdict is notable for several reasons. Full acquittals on self-defense grounds are relatively rare in cases involving knife violence, as Belgian courts apply strict conditions — particularly regarding proportionality. The role of CCTV evidence was decisive, underscoring the growing importance of video footage in criminal proceedings.

The case also highlights issues of street harassment and women’s safety. The incident began with the victim catcalling and aggressively approaching the women, escalating to physical violence when a bystander intervened. The victim’s extreme intoxication was a significant contributing factor to the confrontation.

What’s Next

With the acquittal, the woman faces no criminal penalties and is cleared of all charges. It remains unclear whether any civil claim for damages has been filed by the victim against the acquitted woman. Legal experts and women’s rights organizations may weigh in on the verdict, which tests the boundaries of when a person can use force — including a weapon — to defend themselves or others from harassment that escalates to physical violence.

The case serves as a precedent for how Belgian courts interpret self-defense claims in situations involving street harassment, intoxication, and the use of weapons in defensive situations.