2023-10-09 14:20:00
Sunday around 3 p.m., an individual targeted around ten hunter cars parked on a consolidation road in Cohan (Houffalize) at the entrance to a hunt. He cut off all the mirrors on the driver’s side with a chainsaw, then scratched the side of several vehicles and broke the GPS screens of cars that were not locked.
“I was alerted by the noise and headed in that direction,” explains a hunter who spoke on condition of anonymity. When I reached the parked cars, I noticed that someone was breaking all the mirrors with a chainsaw. I approached him and, seeing my shotgun, he stopped and put the chainsaw on the ground. I did the same with my rifle. He then rushed towards me.”
The hunter was beaten. “This individual behaved like a madman. He lunged at me and punched me several times. He tore off my shirt. I defended myself as best I might, but if two other hunters had not intervened, I would undoubtedly have been seriously injured. He was finally subdued and then handcuffed.”
Taken to hospital, the hunter is covered in bruises and very shocked by this violent attack. He is unable to work for 15 days. Agents from the Nature and Forests Department and Bastogne police officers went to the site.
“We sent a team from the Center Ardenne zone because the Houffalize police officers were already responding to the Commanster rave party,” explains Commissioner Alain Mercier, FF unit chief of the Center Ardenne police. The individual, in a state of intoxication, was administratively arrested. The magistrate on duty at the public prosecutor’s office has been notified.”
For Eric Lambert, the president of the Hunting Council of the two Ourthes, there is no doubt that the hunters were clearly targeted. “According to my information, this individual lives in Rachamps, 3 km from Cohan,” he says. He might have attacked vehicles parked near his home. This act of vandalism leaves no doubt as to the objective pursued by the perpetrator. This is a deliberate anti-hunting act.” The mayor of Houffalize, Marc Caprasse, confirms the information.
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