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Grim History

The Brabant Killings: An Unexplained Belgian Crime Spree

From the years 1982 to 1985, the small region of French-speaking Wallonia in Belgium called Brababant was hit by a series of bizarre and inexplicable crimes. The combination of brutality in the attacks, meticulous planning in their execution, and the relatively small benefits obtained from each one have left a confusing imprint on the minds of police detectives and those who have speculated on the meaning of the crimes. The spree ended about three decades ago, possibly all the members of the so-called Nijvel Gang are dead, and so few clues were left behind that whatever it is that happened at those times in Belgium stands little chance of being explained anytime soon, if ever at all.

Though the members of the gang remain mysterious, the name Brabant Killers has stuck because of where the crimes took place, although people in the Flemish half of the country refer to them as the Nijvel Gang. The number of participants in each assault varied from crime to crime but three core members seem to have been present at each one: The Giant, so named because of his height and apparent leadership role, The Killer who did most of the shooting at The Giant’s behest, and The Old Man, a middle-aged man who was always seen driving the getaway car.

The Brabant Killers started their rampage in the winter of 1982. Their first known crimes involved robberies in which they used a shotgun to rob a store and a car dealership. Then another robbery took place; this time it was a food store where they limited their theft to some inexpensive grocery items. As they were loading the loot into their getaway car, they shot two policemen and drove away. The trend from then on was mostly set to stealing food items and small amounts of money and a disproportionate amount of bloodshed in relation to the severity of their robberies. After robbing and killing a gun store owner, they finished the year by attacking a restaurant and running off with nothing more than some wine and a cup of coffee after torturing and killing the owner.

1983 saw their operations expanding. They started the year by torturing and killing a taxi driver then abandoning the car. They robbed several supermarkets, spraying the aisles with bullets as they left. Sometimes customers died, sometimes they did not. They often stole small amounts of money from these stores but seemingly never enough to justify the murder of innocent bystanders. They also robbed a textile factory and stole bullet-proof vests. In September, one of their most memorable crimes occurred. While burglarizing a convenience store, a couple in a Mercedes stopped to buy gas. They were immediately shot and the burglar alarm went off as the killers started loading a supply of coffee, tea bags and cooking oil into a car they had stolen a couple nights before. When the police arrived, they shot one and drove off. The police pursued and a gunfight began. The gang turned down a dirt road that ran behind the store they had just broken into. The abandoned the car almost immediately and made off with their groceries. In the coming months, more restaurants and grocery stores were attacked leaving several people dead; most often nothing was stolen.

Throughout 1984, nothing happened. Then in 1985 the Brabant Killers sprang back into action. Another supermarket attack left about fifteen people dead and nothing was stolen. Stores and restaurants began hiring teams of armed security guards and the police were on high alert. On November 9, they struck again at another supermarket outside, but close to, the Brabant area. This time the criminals were wearing bizarre face-paint and wore strange looking clothes. Their appearance at first drew stares from curious shoppers but they shot anyone who looked at them. Several children were shot point-blank in the face. A squadron of 22 police cars arrived and the gang ran out the door. As the members got into their getaway car, The Giant ran alongside it and engaged in a firefight with the police. He escaped and ran down a forest trail where somebody said they saw an injured man stumbling away. Later the police arrived and inspected the scene but nobody was there to be found. Evidence obtained later suggests that he had been killed and the body taken away for disposal.

The identity of the killers has never been solved. Some say the police were secretly involved since many of the fingerprints collected at crime scenes mysteriously disappeared. Others say the military was involved since the shotguns and bullets used in the attacks were rare, military-grade weapons that would have been nearly impossible for civilians to have gotten ahold of. Still others say they were a right-wing extremist paramilitary organization that secretly liaised with NATO troops and the attacks were practice drills that were part of a preparation plan in case the USSR ever decided to invade Western Europe. None of these theories makes sense in light of the number and types of victims.

One thing is certain: the Brabant Killings stopped and have not started again. Some people believe that one of the gang members killed everyone else in the group and then committed suicide. In any case, the killers could probably never be brought to trial because the statute of limitations in Belgium ran out in 2015. The investigation does, however, still remain open.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabant_killers

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Between 1982 and 1985, a masked trio killed 28 people — including children — in a series of grocery store attacks across Belgium. Known as t

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Will the crimes of the Brabant Killers remain unsolved forever?

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The Brabant Killers are a gang of unidentified men who are deemed responsible for numerous violent attacks in Belgium between 1982-1985. During this time, 28 innocent civilians were killed and 40 were injured after the assailants stormed various public locations such as restaurants and supermarkets. Children were even picked out indiscriminately and shot at close range. The failure of the authorities in catching these individuals provoked a national sense of discomfort, which subsequently led to a series of reforms within the Belgian police force. Although they remain unknown, a variety of nicknames have been established to identify the individuals and their roles: The Killer (who is potentially responsible for a majority 23 of the 28 killings perpetrated), The Giant (who operates as the leader of the group), and The Old Man (who is believed to have transported other members to the crime scenes) are examples of three. Unfortunately, as the group were not captured by November 2015, the statute of limitations in relation to this case has since expired, entailing that the offenders can no longer be tried for their crimes.

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Between 1982 and 1985, 28 people were murdered with another 40 inured by the Brabant Killers, also commonly known as the Nivelles Gang, in Belgium. The three main perpetrators were known as The Giant Man, who was thought to be the leader, The Killer, who was the one who killed the victims, and The Old Man, who acted as the driver. The ruthless gang were known to commit armed robbery and murder anybody who got in their way or witnessed their crimes. The last known robbery occurred on 9 November, 1985, when the gang, who were all wearing face paint and disguises, entered the Delhaize supermarket where they proceeded to taunt customers and shoot any that looked at the gang members, including children. The identity of the gang was never uncovered.

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