Hans Van Themsche

Straat zonder racisme2

Belgian criminal

Hans Van Themsche

Name	Hans Van Themsche
Birth name
Birth date	Birth date -1st March 1966
Birth place	Belgium
Death date
Death place
Alma mater
Occupation
Years active
Organization
Known for	2006 Antwerp shooting
Notable works
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Website

Hans Van Themsche (born 7 February 1988) is a Belgian criminal who was convicted for the 2006 Antwerp shooting, a racially motivated attack that resulted in the deaths of two people and the injury of a third.

Background

Hans Van Themsche was born in Belgium and grew up in a family with strong right-wing political views. His father was a member of the Vlaams Belang, a far-right political party in Belgium. Van Themsche attended school in Antwerp, where he was known to have difficulties with social integration and exhibited signs of racism from a young age.

2006 Antwerp Shooting

On 11 May 2006, Hans Van Themsche went on a shooting spree in the city of Antwerp. Armed with a rifle, he targeted individuals based on their ethnicity. During the attack, he killed a 2-year-old girl of Malian descent and her au pair, a woman of Filipino origin. He also seriously injured a woman of Turkish descent. The attack was widely condemned and led to a national outcry against racism and xenophobia in Belgium.

Trial and Conviction

Hans Van Themsche was arrested shortly after the shooting. During his trial, it was revealed that he had been influenced by far-right ideologies and had specifically targeted people of non-European descent. He was found guilty of murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Impact

The 2006 Antwerp shooting had a significant impact on Belgian society. It sparked debates about racism, immigration, and the influence of far-right politics in the country. The incident also led to increased efforts to combat hate crimes and promote social integration.

See also

• Racism in Belgium
• Far-right politics in Belgium
• Hate crime
• Life imprisonment in Belgium