Transgender Women Attacked, Robbed in Brussels

Two transgender women experienced a terrifying ordeal in Brussels over the weekend, enduring transphobic harassment, theft, and physical assault. The incidents began in the early hours of Sunday morning near Zuidstraat, close to the city's LGBTQIA+ quarter.

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Men made transphobic statements, and one of them hit my friend hard. We were completely in shock.

According to one of the victims, Hailie, the attack started after a verbal altercation involving transphobic slurs. "Men made transphobic statements, and one of them hit my friend hard. We were completely in shock," Hailie told BRUZZ. During this initial assault, the perpetrators stole a mobile phone and a handbag before fleeing.

Despite the shock, the pair decided to try and move on by going to a nightclub. However, their attempt to distract themselves was short-lived. On their way back, they were attacked a second time by two individuals who got out of a vehicle and struck them. Hailie reported this second assault occurred near Bodegemstraat in the Anneessens district. She sustained blows to the head, while her companion was pulled by her hair and suffered cuts to her face and neck as she fled.

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2 persons would have first been attacked after a verbal altercation in the night from Saturday to Sunday. The suspects made off with a cell phone and a handbag and then fled.

The victims managed to escape and alerted the police. The Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone confirmed they have opened an investigation into incitement to hatred. As of now, no arrests have been made, but the investigation into identifying the perpetrators is ongoing. One of the victims, a transgender woman from France, filed a formal complaint detailing the violent theft and incitement to discrimination, violence, and hatred.

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The 2 victims were able to escape and notified the police.