Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Antwerp criminal court has decided on a prison term of 2 years with suspension for a 42-year-old man who attacked his former partner’s new partner and also used an unpermitted weapon.
This happened on February 24 as the man, arguing with his ex-wife over the financial issues through the video call, got angry after hearing an unpleasant thing from her new boyfriend.
He reportedly used to wave a knife that led to a scuffle that saw the victim suffering an injured hand as he struggled to flee. When arrested, the defendant was confined to the overcrowded prison at Antwerp, a place where he was subjected to physical abuse that posed a danger to his life by his companions.
A 42-year-old man from Lydney was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years after threatening to kill his former partner’s new boyfriend and possessing an ‘unauthorised weapon’.
Before the saga of Antwerp prison, men who had been in contact with him said he had been severely abused by his cellmates, exposing the flaws of the Belgiian’ prison system, where the prisons are nearly overpopulated.
Before the current case, the defendant received terrible conditions from other detainees while in custody. He was found on March 12 with critical injuries, having been severely assaulted for days with no help from the authorities.
It has been reported that the man was forced to feign sleep every time the guards moved close to the cell to continue flogging him. This man did not defend himself in the trial, and his lawyer did not argue on the merits of the case, and the case ended with a two-year suspended sentence. Also, he has to take rigid treatment for alcohol and drugs and attend an aggression management course.
This individual has a past criminal record, which includes prison terms for both sexual crimes as well as assault.
Systemic issues in Belgian prisons
This case can be viewed as an example of the wide range of consolidated problems in the Belgian prison system, which include overpopulation and staff shortages.
It was a grim environment,
the conditions of Antwerp prison have been named critical, and the observers stated that, during the investigated occurrence, the prison was created for three prisoners but, in fact, lodged six.
These are some of the conditions that labour representatives have allegedly linked with the violence of inmates. Mario Heylen, a guard at Antwerp prison, stated,
The dramatic events that took place in Antwerp prison were allowed to unfold because of the difficult conditions in which staff have to work and detainees are housed.
These organisations have continued to demand increased funding and staffing levels that will help to eliminate such occurrences.It has consequently led to demands for understanding and change of the Belgian penitentiary system.
Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt acknowledged that blaming this specific incident solely on overcrowding is “premature,” yet it remains clear that significant improvements are needed to ensure inmate safety and uphold human rights standards within prisons.
The police are still probing into this heinous act, awaiting to determine how such violence continued to be perpetrated without any form of intervention. While facing these problems, Belgium can hardly remain indifferent to the necessity of reforming its correctional facilities, and this case vividly describes the real situation.