Fear of long imprisonment for Belgian man who blinded F-16 pilot with laser pen

An F-16 pilot based at military Kleine Brogel in Belgium was blinded by the rays of a laser pen on Tuesday evening. A man from the town of Peer is now suspected of dazzling the pilot.

Eric Cenens, Commissioner of the Kempenland region, told newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that such incidents are more likely to occur:  “The perpetrators apparently do not realize what punishments they risk. If the suspect is found guilty, he may face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. When injuries are caused to the victims, that penalty can go up to 30 years.”

On October 18 last year, a 22-year-old Berliner received a prison sentence of 1.5 years after he shone on a helicopter pilot for 55 seconds.