Belgian Man Beaten 30-40 Times After Offering Lift
A 60-year-old Belgian contractor who offered a lift to an intoxicated young man in October 2024 was brutally beaten 30 to 40 times in his own car, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. The case reached a critical point on Tuesday when prosecutors demanded 12 months of effective imprisonment for the defendant, a 24-year-old kickboxer from the same West Flanders town.
A Good Deed Gone Wrong
On the evening of October 25, 2024, Jean Hoorne was at the cafeteria of the local sports hall in Alveringem, a small municipality near the French border in West Flanders. The young man, then 23, was also present, having arrived with an acquaintance of Jean’s. The two did not speak during the evening, and when the acquaintance left, the young man remained alone.
Shortly after midnight, as Jean prepared to head home, he noticed the young man was significantly under the influence of alcohol. “He didn’t know where to go and I offered him a lift and a place to sleep,” Jean told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Then he would see the next day how he would get home.”
“Yes, perhaps I am too good a person,” he added. “Because I never thought something like that would happen shortly afterwards.”
The Attack
Upon arriving at Jean’s home in the Kaatsspelstraat, the situation turned violent without apparent provocation. According to Jean, the young man attacked him inside the car, striking him repeatedly. “He kept hitting, up to 30 or 40 times,” Jean said.
The victim suffered swollen eyes, a bruised body, a double concussion, a damaged eye socket, and serious injuries to his ear. KW.be reported that Jean thought he might die during the assault.
The attack only ended when Jean managed to lock the car doors as his attacker stepped out. The car alarm, triggered by the pounding on the vehicle, alerted concerned neighbors who called the police. Officers arrested the young man, who was subsequently held by the investigating judge in Veurne on suspicion of intentional assault and battery causing incapacity for work.
A Long Legal Journey
The case has moved slowly through the Belgian judicial system. Focus-WTV reported that the Chamber of Indictment in Veurne extended the suspect’s detention by one month on October 31, 2024. The case first came before the court in Veurne on November 4, 2025, where Jean’s lawyer, Thomas Bailleul, requested the appointment of a medical expert due to concerns about his client’s possible permanent disability.
“You have seen the photos in the file too. Actually, they speak for themselves. It was truly very heavy violence,” Bailleul said, as reported by KW.be. “We want to ask for an expert to be appointed, because there may be permanent disability of my client.”
Nearly two years after the attack, Jean continues to suffer both physically and mentally. His lawyer fears the injuries may have caused lasting impairment.
Defense Claims Sexual Assault
During Tuesday’s hearing, the defense presented a controversial counter-narrative. The defendant, identified as G.M., claimed that Jean had sexually assaulted him, which he said triggered the violent response. His lawyer, Julie Crowet, argued that G.M.’s free will was disabled at the time of the incident.
“He tried to rape me,” the defendant reportedly said immediately in his call to emergency services, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. “The truth is that my client woke up in the car and that man of 1.95 meters was touching him. His hand was at his crotch,” Crowet pleaded.
The defense argued for suspension of punishment, claiming at minimum there was provocation. “The victim was not at all the Good Samaritan,” it was argued.
The prosecution rejected this framing. Prosecutor Annelies Verstraete stated that the reaction was disproportionate regardless of the circumstances. “We could have been before the assize court,” she said, referring to the severity of the violence. The prosecution took into account the defendant’s clean criminal record in demanding 12 months effective imprisonment and an 800 euro fine.
The civil party requested approximately 50,000 euros in damages.
What’s Next
The judge will deliver the verdict on August 31, 2026. For Jean, the ordeal has left lasting scars. As he told reporters, reflecting on the night that changed his life: “Yes, perhaps I am too good a person.”
De Krantenkoppen noted that the case has drawn significant public attention, with readers criticizing the slow pace of the Belgian judicial system. The verdict on August 31 will bring a nearly two-year legal saga to a close.