Belgian prosecutors probe attack on Muslim teen girl

Belgian prosecutors will decide on Wednesday evening if Monday’s attack against a young Muslim girl was carried out due to Islamophobia or not.
On Monday night, two assailants attacked a 19-year-old Muslim teen in Anderlues municipality of the country, reportedly tearing off her clothes, leaving her with deep marks across her bare chest, legs and stomach inflicted by a sharp object.
The Inter-federal Centre for Equal Opportunities (UNIA) spokesman Bram Sebrechts told Anadolu Agency the attack was motivated by Islamophobia in his opinion.
However, the Charleroi Prosecutor’s Office will make a ruling on the nature of the attack, Sebrechts said, adding the office would later contact the victim following the confirmation.
He said Muslims were increasingly becoming targets of anti-Muslim attacks, the spokesperson said.
Islamophobic attacks are gradually evolving and need to be averted, he added.
Belgian parliamentarian of Turkish origin Mahinur Ozdemir said the young woman was out at night searching for her cat when she came under attack.
Ozdemir said the victim could have been murdered.
“If measures are not taken it will be unfortunately impossible to prevent such attacks,” he warned.
The EU has lately witnessed growing Islamophobia and hatred of migrants in recent years triggered by propaganda from far-right and populist parties, which have exploited fears over the refugee crisis and terrorism.