Antwerp (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): On September 2, a social worker in Antwerp was violently attacked by an inmate during a conversation. The emergency alarm failed, raising concerns about prison safety and overcrowding.
On Monday, September 2, there was a concerning incident at a prison in Antwerp involving a social worker and a male inmate. Mario Helen, a prison guard and member of the socialist trade union ACOD, reported that the social worker was having a normal conversation with the inmate in a special room for talks. Suddenly, the inmate attacked the social worker violently and without warning.
What measures are needed to ensure the safety of prison staff after recent assaults?
The attacker is said to have groped the social worker roughly, making the situation very upsetting. This incident highlights serious concerns about safety in prisons, especially for staff members who work with inmates. It has brought attention to the need for better measures to protect prison workers. The victim pressed the emergency button, but it didn’t work, so no one came to help. She also had a mobile alarm, called a ‘walkie-talkie,’ that needed to be pressed for 3 seconds to go off. But while she was trying to defend herself, she couldn’t use it. The alarm fell on the ground. Usually, this alarm turns off by itself after some time, but it takes 50 seconds for the main office to get the alert. On top of that, there was a problem with the alarm showing the wrong location, which meant the prison staff couldn’t get there quickly.
The victim is in serious condition and can’t work for a while. Helen said, “It turned out that what happened was much worse than we thought.” The injuries are so serious that the case is now being treated as rape instead of just an attack. The prison director, An Jansens, said a male inmate attacked the assistant. She pointed out that overcrowding in the prison is a big issue. The director thinks there should be limits on how many inmates are in prisons. She believes every prison should only have as many inmates as it was made for.
