He Got Away With Assault— Because He's a Twin

Belgian court couldn't tell brothers apart in footage
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 9, 2019 12:04 PM CDT
In Twins' Assault Case, a Strange Acquittal
   (Getty Images/AVNphotolab)

There's clear evidence that one of two brothers punched a man in the nose outside a snack bar in Leuvan, Belgium—yet there will be no conviction. The reason: It was impossible for the court to tell the twins apart. One of the 28-year-old brothers actually confessed to throwing a punch in the October 24, 2015, assault seen on CCTV footage. However, the brothers identified as Ibrahim and Murat A were each acquitted on insufficient evidence because police couldn't figure out who was throwing the punch and who was trying to hold the other back, reports the BBC.

The brother who confessed told police he "held my brother back" but "struck the blow myself" after two men laughed at the pair, per VRT. Footage instead showed a twin twice preventing his brother from landing a punch before the other succeeded. "It's obvious that one of them actively tried to hold the other back. So he can't be judged as either perpetrator or accomplice," the judge said, per the BBC. "The investigation shows that one of the brothers struck a blow, but it is not certain which of the two did so," the judge added. (More twins stories.)

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