The man who assaulted a sleeping man in Rotterdam with a paving stone at the end of last year will be prosecuted in France. The Public Prosecution Service confirms this to NU.nl after reports from RTL Nieuws. The French police arrested the suspect earlier in Toulon.
The 32-year-old suspect from Cameroon attacked a man in November last year who was sleeping near the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam. He threw a large paving stone at the head of 37-year-old Benjamin. The victim was seriously injured and was in a coma for more than a week.
It was previously said that Benjamin was homeless, but his half-sister later told the media that this was a misunderstanding. According to her, he slept outside because he didn’t want to be a burden to people. The man normally lives in a residential group, but had often slept in that location in Rotterdam before. “He chose that spot because there are cameras,” said his half-sister. “So for a bit of safety.”
The suspect was missing for some time, but at the end of November, the French police arrested him in Toulon. It concerns a Cameroonian who, according to Le Parisien, is called Levis E.
E. is being prosecuted in France for the killing of another homeless person and multiple attempted murders. He is also on trial for the attack with the paving stone in the Netherlands.
The connection with the case in Rotterdam was quickly made because the suspect used the same type of violence. For example, he attacked a homeless man in Lyon with a large piece of stone. The victim was a Moldovan man who died from his injuries.
The family and friends of Benjamin previously set up a crowdfunding campaign for his recovery. With the money, they want to ensure that he “receives the best care and never has to sleep on the street again.” More than 35,000 euros have already been raised for this.