Four of the eight young men arrested after video footage of their attack on another man in Eindhoven was broadcast on television, will not face charges, the public prosecution department said on Wednesday.

‘These four did not actively take part in the violence and the fact they were part of the same group is no reason to prosecute them,’ the department said in a statement.

The four, aged 17, 18, 18 and 19, all come from Turnhout in Belgium.

The four others will face prosecution, including the main suspect, 17-year-old Brent L. The Belgian authorities have not yet decided if he can be extradited because of his age.

The apparently unprovoked attack took place on January 4. The 22-year-old victim was hit and kicked by several of the eight-strong group after they marched down the street on ‘a war footing’. He suffered severe concussion and injuries to his mouth and jaw.

The arrests and the circulation of the video led to a heated debate in the Dutch media about the ‘naming and shaming’ of suspects.