Shockingly violent group attacks man in Groningen supermarket; Police ask for help
A violent group assault in Groningen occurred on the evening of Wednesday, January 21 at and around the Albert Heijn on Oude Ebbingestraat. A 19-year-old man was attacked and seriously beaten by a group of roughly ten men. Due to the severity of the incident, police have now highlighted the case on a wider scale via the investigative programme Opsporing Verzocht.
The group assault is believed to have occurred shortly after a human rights demonstration concerning Syria on the Grote Markt. As the event drew attendees from outside the city, Groningen police are considering the possibility that the attackers were not local residents.
The incident began when the 19-year-old victim made a comment outside that angered a group of men. He fled in fear into the Albert Heijn, but was followed inside, with his jacket already torn in the process.
Behind the service counter, several members of the group overpowered him, repeatedly stomping on his head and beating him severely. Staff members at the supermarket attempted to intervene, but were unable to stop the attack. The victim survived but suffered serious head injuries as a result.
The Opsporing Verzocht presenter characterised the attackers’ behaviour as resembling a group of “hungry predators.” The victim was beaten and kicked repeatedly for several minutes, including after he had already collapsed and was lying motionless on the ground.
In the days following the January incident, police swiftly arrested one suspect. Since then, authorities have identified a total of two individuals in connection with the case.
Following the broadcast of the disturbing CCTV footage on television, at least one of the wanted suspects voluntarily reported to the police. Detectives are still actively working to identify three men believed to have been involved in the group. Police have released their unblurred images in an effort to trace them.
