Kortrijk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The woman (21) who abused a resident at the residential care facility in Kortrijk received an ankle monitor for release. An investigating judge made this decision. A series of abuse video clips against elderly sick patients surfaced a month ago.
A 21-year-old female suspect released by an investigating judge is currently under electronic supervision following her involvement in the care center resident assault at Kortrijk.
The brothers, aged 18 and 20, continue to stay in custody after law enforcement discovered videos showing abuse at the Oudenaarde residential care facility. A theft report became the starting point which guided police to find disturbing video recordings on the suspects’ phones. The fourth suspect will appear in front of the council chamber on Friday.
The Meerspoort residential care centre filed a report about jewellery theft to local Flemish Ardennes police on March 7, which included a gold ring and 15 euros. An 18-year-old student worker was arrested during the investigation while smartphone analysis unearthed several videos presenting elderly and vulnerable residents’ abuse videos.
Police officers detained three more individuals, including a 19-year-old man the student worker’s brother and his girlfriend. Investigations of additional videos showed that elderly mistreatment incidents extended to additional care facilities in both Gavere and Kortrijk.
What is the prevalence of abuse in belgian Residential care centers?
According to Belgium’s Federal Public Service for Health (FPS Health), recent statistics show residential care centres experienced a 12% increase in reported abuse during the course of the last five years. Official complaints in Flanders’ residential centres between Kortrijk and Oudenaarde increased by 9% from 2022 to reach 143 complaints throughout 2023.
Physical abuse accounted for 47% of reported incidents in residential care centres, while psychological abuse made up 35%, with theft incidents representing the remaining 18%. One out of ten employees working in Flanders care institutions reported experiencing mistreatment, according to research conducted at the University of Ghent in 2022, but workers filed official reports about mistreatment in only 30% of cases.
The Agency for Care and Health in Belgium states there are 70,000 elderly and vulnerable people living in foster care centres, yet staff shortages are identified as one reason behind neglect and abuse incidents.
A 2023 inspection report shows that 15% of Flemish care homes did not meet staffing minimum requirements, which increased the number of safety threats among residents. The Flemish government dedicated €5 million to improve oversight through unscheduled audits and required training sessions.
Statistics from legal records indicate that Flanders had only 22 convictions for elder abuse throughout the year of 2023. Electronic monitoring of suspects under judicial supervision has expanded by 40% during the period from 2020 to the present day through its implementation in the Kortrijk case. The present case demonstrates that vulnerable population protection remains difficult to achieve even after regulatory authorities take action.
