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Belgian ambassador’s wife case dropped

Police closed an assault case involving the wife of the Belgian ambassador to Seoul on Wednesday, without charging her due to diplomatic immunity and the victims’ request of non-punishment. Xiang Xueqiu, the spouse of Ambassador Peter Lescouhier, has been questioned by police over allegations that she slapped a clothing store employee in the face and another staffer in the back of her head in early April.

Yongsan Police Station said it decided not to charge the suspect, citing the wife’s diplomatic immunity and the victims’ request that she not be punished.

Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats are largely granted immunity from prosecution in their host country.

Xueqiu has reportedly met privately with the two store employees to apologize, and the victims asked the police that she not be punished, police said.

The assaults allegedly happened when the employees mistakenly suspected the wife of having stolen clothes from the store, because she was wearing an outfit similar to what they were selling.

Late last month, the Belgian government ordered Ambassador Peter Lescouhier to leave his post this summer and “partially” waived diplomatic immunity for his wife to the extent of complying with the police questioning.

National

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2021-06-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://ktimes.pressreader.com/article/281547998857304

The Korea Times Co.