From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
BELGIUM'S STRICT GUN USE LAWS
091519 JUN 00
By Geoff Meade, European Editor, PA News in Brussels
Lethal weapons are not difficult to buy on the open market in Belgium, as
the three journalists set out to prove.
But what they demonstrated even more effectively is that laws on the use of
guns and knives are draconian and strictly enforced.
For years "sporting" shops in the smaller streets of Brussels as well as out
in the provinces, have legitimately sold large hunting knives, swords,
crossbows and a range of rifles and handguns.
But the casual use and possession of such potentially deadly pieces of
"sports equipment" is frowned upon by the law - to the extent that guns can
only be bought separately from the firing mechanism in a bid to ward off the
development of a gun-toting culture.
Belgium has an enthusiastic gun club fraternity, but even the carrying of
strictly sporting weapons in a non-sporting context carries automatic fines.
For instance an individual driving to a gun club must keep the gun and its
firing mechanism separately, and only in the boot of the vehicle and not in
the passenger compartment.
Until recently a loophole in the law meant that purchasing and legitimately
keeping a heavy riot gun was easier than owning a fully operational handgun.
The strict Belgian laws on lethal weapons means that - so far - the open
display of guns or knives on the streets of Brussels still shocks as much as
in Britain or elsewhere in Europe.
And this afternoon Brussels police were turning the reporters' effort to
expose the ease of obtaining weapons in Belgium to their own advantage.
"They were caught and taken into custody as soon as they were seen carrying
such items - even though the purchase itself was not illegal," said a
spokesman.
"I think that tells you about our state of readiness for Euro 2000."
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This is a well written thoughtful piece :-)
Kenneth Pantling
--
Strict as compared to our laws?<G>
Steve.
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