Complaints of homophobic discrimination double in 2012

Belgian police recorded 157 complaints of homophobic discrimination in 2012, almost twice as much as the previous year (87 complaints), Le Soir reports today. "Far from being worried, I'm actually almost pleased with the figures, which show that victims of homophobia now speak out and that the police now take those acts seriously," says Jozef De Witte, director of the Centre for Equal Opportunities (CECLR).  According to the federal police, the number of recorded incidents of homophobic discrimination is still considered as "relatively low". Official police statistics currently do not isolate homophobic offences.