A friend of Thomas, who committed suicide at the age of 17 after being the victim of harassment, must answer for his death before the Liège courts

A Messenger group titled “The ugly ones“had been created for this purpose. The other young people wrote to him in particular”you shouldn’t exist“, “dirty stinking“, “you disgust me, PD“, “he hung you, bitch..d”“when I saw you, I wanted to vomit“, “if I see you I’ll burst your face“, “you will pick up“, “you are nothing on earth“, “will die“, or even “swatter“. He added that his life, his suffering, “all the harm you have done to me will soon stop“. The young man was also the victim of bullying.

Following these facts, the investigation got off to a bad start, to say the least. The prosecution even made a point of publicly apologizing to Thomas’s parents for the treatment given to this matter. Despite the letters clearly specifying the reasons for his action, the file was only the subject of information.

The defendant has changing statements

The young man’s phone could not be analyzed. The identification of the authors was therefore not easy. Given the lack of evidence, the prosecution requested a dismissal of the case. The parents ended up filing civil claims in the hands of an investigating judge so that their son’s death could finally be examined. It was only seven years later, after a long and difficult fight, that the courts finally dealt with this case.

The suspect, also enrolled in special education, denied having sent any threatening or insulting message. “I never had any problems with Thomas“, explained the defendant during his first appearance in court. “I wasn’t talking to him. I don’t remember if I sent any mean messages. He was a lovely boy Thomas. I was treated too. Thomas was a great guy. I haven’t written anything about the group. I just followed him.“

Me Zevenne, who defends the interests of parents, underlined the way “scandalous” whose case was conducted. He explained to what extent his clients suffered from the loss of their child. He said he was convinced that the young man had participated in the facts. He pleaded for compensation of 20,000 euros for parents.

Me Thone, who defends the young man, pleaded for the latter’s acquittal, considering that his client could not be held responsible for the harassment which led to the terrible action committed by the teenager. The lawyer also pleaded for a suspension of the sentence, or reprieve.