MP Mathias Vanden Borre attacked in Brussels

28 April 2021
Mathias Vanden Borre

On Tuesday, Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre was attacked in broad daylight by “kids”. Mathias Vanden Borre was beaten and stomped on, was able to escape but was unable to work for three days. “We must put an end to the feeling of impunity among these young people so that the feeling of safety can prevail among the people of Brussels.”

“The attack happened during a walk in Essegem on the border of Laeken with Jette. Six or seven young people came up to me. They started shouting things, that I had no business being here, and intimidating me.” Mathias Vanden Borre started running, but the attackers were able to catch up with him. They tried to take the mobile phone Mathias Vanden Borre was using to film the incident. That failed. Mathias Vanden Borre now hopes that the images will help to identify the thugs.

Call to restore security falls on deaf ears

Since the coronavirus crisis and the lockdown measures, more and more Brussels districts and neighbourhoods have unfortunately been at the mercy of young people with criminal intentions, says the Brussels MP in a response. “The experience of citizens is that the lack of safety and the tension they already felt in many neighbourhoods at night is now also being felt during the day since the crisis. I have repeatedly called on the Brussels government to map out those neighbourhoods where the quality of life is threatened and to develop an action plan to restore safety in those neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, my calls have so far fallen on deaf ears. In fact, that makes entire neighbourhoods no-go-zones.”

Feeling of impunity

This is especially true for women who see their freedom of movement restricted, Mathias Vanden Borre says. “The feeling of impunity that characterises Brussels in particular must be tackled more rigorously by devising effective alternative punishments, by requiring the involvement of parents in court intervention and by thoroughly adapting juvenile sanctions law where necessary.”

Brussels is competent for juvenile delinquency, but legislation has still not been adopted

Brussels has been competent for juvenile sanctions law or juvenile delinquency law since the sixth state reform, and more specifically for measures regarding minors who have committed a crime, the rules regarding extradition and placement in a closed institution. “The new legislation was passed two years ago and was to come into force on 1 January 2020. Unfortunately, that is not yet the case. We must put an end to the feeling of impunity among these young people so that the feeling of safety can prevail among the people of Brussels,” Mathias Vanden Borre concludes.

How valuable did you find this article?

Enter your personal score here
The average score is