The Antwerp court recently acquitted a 29-year-old Romanian man who was suspected of an explosive attack on a front door in Deurne. The case involved an incident in the Te Couwaerlei, where an explosive device was placed against a door. The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to definitively link Marius G., the Romanian suspect, to the placement of the explosive.
What is happening
On July 14, 2026, the Antwerp court acquitted Marius G. (29), of Romanian nationality, of involvement in an explosion at a front door in Deurne. The facts date back to last year, when an explosive was placed against a house in the Te Couwaerlei on the night of June 11 to 12. Although a second explosive detonated a few days later at the same location, the court could not find conclusive evidence that G. was the perpetrator of the first attack. This acquittal highlights the legal challenges in attributing such offenses without concrete evidence. This decision could have implications for ongoing investigations into similar incidents in Antwerp and other Belgian cities.
Background
Deurne, a district of Antwerp, has been in the news more frequently in recent years in connection with various forms of crime. Explosive attacks, often related to gang criminality or retaliations, have put public safety in Belgium, and particularly in Antwerp, under pressure. The Belgian police and the Public Prosecutor's Office are constantly working to combat this problem. The lack of evidence in this specific case demonstrates how complex such investigations can be. The investigators' focus was on identifying the person who placed the explosive, but this could not be established with absolute certainty. The situation regarding security in residential areas, especially in Antwerp, remains a priority for local and federal authorities.
Legal challenges in explosive cases
Cases involving the use of explosives, such as in Deurne, often require specialized forensic investigation. Collecting irrefutable evidence, such as DNA or surveillance footage, is crucial. Without these elements, it becomes difficult for the Belgian public prosecutor's office to build a solid case. The acquittal of Marius G. is an example of how the rule of law functions: a suspect is innocent until proven guilty legally and convincingly. This underscores the need for thorough and careful investigation at all stages of judicial proceedings.
What this means for Belgium
The acquittal in this explosive case in Deurne will likely attract attention from the wider public and the judicial sector in Belgium. It shows that Belgian justice does not take evidence lightly and that the rights of suspects are respected at all times. This ruling could fuel the discussion about the burden of proof in complex criminal cases. For the residents of Antwerp, and Deurne in particular, the unrest about explosive devices continues, even if perpetrators cannot always be traced. It may also be a signal for the federal police and the Flemish Region to further intensify prevention and investigation into these incidents. The news was originally reported by HLN Antwerpen.
The Romanian Marius G. (29) who was prosecuted for an attack with an explosive on a front door in Deurne has been acquitted by the Antwerp court. It could not be proven with certainty that G. was the one who placed an explosive against the front door in question on the night of Friday 11 to Saturday 12 June last year. (HLN Antwerpen)