A Brussels correctional court ordered a twice-arrested swastika smearer today to be confined for an indefinite period in a psychiatric institution.
R. van Avermaete, 26, was accused several months ago of smearing swastikas on a number of shops of Brussels Jewish merchants. He was arrested, released, then arrested again on charges of repeating the smearings. The court then ordered him to be placed under psychiatric observation. The correctional court ordered his institutionalization in accordance with recommendations of the psychiatrists.
The man’s case evoked great interest here among the non-Jewish population, no less than among Jews, since there is considerable sentiment in Brussels against neo-Nazi activities.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
