Brave Shop Owner, 54, Foils Armed Robbery by Minor in Ostend

A 54-year-old night shop owner in Ostend turned the tables on a minor attempting an armed robbery Wednesday evening, disarming the suspect and chasing him out of the store before police arrived. Security camera footage of the incident, released by the owner’s son, has sparked widespread discussion about youth crime and self-defense in Belgium.

The attempted robbery occurred just after 10 PM on June 10 at a night shop on Dokter Eduard Moreauxlaan in the coastal city of Ostend, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.

The Incident

Security footage shows the suspect — a minor whose exact age has not been disclosed — first casing the area. According to Singh, the shop owner’s son who released the footage, the suspect sat on a bench outside to observe the situation before approaching to check if the shop was empty.

“The perpetrator first walked around outside and sat on a bench to observe the situation,” Singh told HLN. “Then he came closer to check if no one was inside. When he saw the shop was empty, he came in with a firearm and demanded money from the cash register.”

Once inside, the suspect pointed a weapon at the shop owner and demanded cash. VRT NWS reported the suspect said, “Geld nu, stop het in de zak” (“Money now, put it in the bag”). While HLN initially described the weapon as a firearm, VRT NWS reported it was a “babygun” — likely a replica or toy gun.

Owner’s Brave Response

The 54-year-old shop owner, who has been running the night shop for three years, refused to comply. Instead of handing over cash, he grabbed a baseball bat and chased the suspect out of the store. The dramatic reversal of roles was captured in full on the security cameras.

Singh explained that his father likely acted on adrenaline. “If you allow it once, they’ll try again,” he said. “I don’t think he fully realized what was happening and reacted under the influence of adrenaline. You don’t expect something like this to happen in Ostend.”

The suspect initially managed to escape but was arrested later that evening by police.

Legal Proceedings

The public prosecutor’s office of West-Vlaanderen confirmed the facts of the case. The minor was brought before a juvenile judge in Bruges via fast-track proceedings (snelrecht), a process used in Belgium for serious cases requiring swift justice. The judge imposed measures on the suspect, though the specific nature of those measures has not been disclosed.

Belgium’s juvenile justice system focuses on protective and educational measures rather than punitive sentences for minors. These can include supervision orders, educational programs, or placement in a closed youth institution, depending on the severity of the offense.

Broader Context

The incident has struck a nerve in Belgium, becoming the most-read and most-shared article on HLN’s Ostend section. Public reaction has been mixed, with many praising the shop owner’s courage while others question the leniency of the juvenile justice system.

Comments on HLN’s coverage reflect public frustration. One reader asked, “What do those measures entail?” while another sarcastically remarked, “Luckily the perpetrator got a heavy sentence — the judge probably said ‘shame on you’ and made him promise never to do it again.”

This case is not isolated. Similar incidents involving minors and armed robberies have occurred across Belgium in recent years, including cases in Buggenhout (June 2025), Roosdaal (April 2025), and Kapellen (March 2025), raising ongoing questions about youth crime trends and the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system.

What’s Next

The specific measures imposed by the juvenile judge in Bruges remain undisclosed, leaving questions about the outcome of the case unanswered. The incident has reignited debate in Belgium about self-defense rights, parental responsibility, and whether the current juvenile justice framework provides adequate deterrence for serious crimes committed by minors.

For the shop owner, life has returned to normal, though the security footage of his courageous stand continues to circulate widely online. As his son noted, the family never expected such an event in their coastal city — a sentiment echoed by many in Ostend and beyond.