The Belgian Manchester City fan, Guido De Pauw, who was attacked after the club’s 5-1 win over Club Brugge on Tuesday, remains in a coma but is now stable. Two of the five suspects arrested remain in custody and three were released under strict bail conditions after all appeared before a judge in Ghent on Friday.
The incident occurred at a service station near Drongen at 10.40pm local time after City’s Champions League victory at the Jan Breydel Stadium, which the 63-year-old De Pauw and his son Jurgen had attended as part of a contingent from the Blue Moon Belgium supporters’ club.
A statement from Belgium’s public prosectors said: “The victim is still in a coma, but his condition is now stable. The five suspects were brought before the investigating judge in Ghent today at the request of the public prosecutor’s office OVL. The inquest and arrest were requested on the basis of theft by assault and theft by aggravated assault on the part of one of the defendants, intentional assault and battery with incapacity for work on the part of a second defendant, and negligence on the part of all five defendants.
“The suspects are five men, four in their twenties and one in his forties, four of whom live in Flemish Brabant, one in East Flanders. Two of them remain in custody. Three of them were released under strict conditions, including a ban on attending football matches, a ban on being in or near supporters’ cafes and a ban on participating in football fan club activities.”
After the incident City said: “Our thoughts and best wishes go out to the family and friends of the Belgian-based supporter.” – Guardian
