Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hundreds protested in Brussels over police violence, demanding justice for Sourour Abouda (46, died in custody in Jan 2023) and Fabian (11, hit by a police car). The court delays the decision.
As VRT News reported, Hundreds of people protested this morning on June 13, 2025, in Brussels about police violence, demanding justice for Sourour Abouda (46, died in custody in Jan 2023) and Fabian (11, hit by a police car). The Brussels court was scheduled to decide today, June 13, 2025, if the Sourour Abouda case would go to trial.
Is police violence in Brussels being properly investigated?
The public prosecutor has accused the Brussels Capital–Ixelles police of unintentional manslaughter. However, the court session was put off because both the police and Abouda’s family want more investigation. They’re asking for a closer look at the video recordings, details from the autopsy, and how the police handled the situation. They also want to see documents they haven’t been given yet.
In Brussels, hundreds protested at the Palace of Justice. They were there to seek justice for Sourour Abouda’s death in 2023 and to protest “police violence.” They accused the Brussels police of racism and mistreating groups like people of colour, undocumented people, asylum seekers, homeless people, and activists.
Protesters chanted and held signs, comparing the situation in Belgium to police misconduct cases around the world. They demanded transparency, independent oversight, and accountability. Activists pointed out that over 90% of deaths involving the police are of non-white individuals, which they say shows a pattern of racial profiling and a lack of consequences.
The protest also brought attention to the recent death of 11-year-old Fabian. According to reports, he was killed in Elisabeth Park when a police patrol, chasing a suspect at high speed without using sirens or lights, drove into the park and hit him.
Demonstrators pointed out that Fabian is the youngest known victim in a string of police-related deaths in Brussels. This has increased calls to stop reckless police chases and to review police procedures in public spaces.
They mentioned that the case, like Abouda’s, is being used as evidence of a continuing pattern of violence and negligence, which is driving demands for major reforms in policing practices throughout the city.
The protest was about the death of Sourour Abouda in January 2023. Abouda, a 46-year-old woman, died in a police station after being arrested. Police said she killed herself with a sweater in a cell. But her family and friends don’t believe this.
They say there are problems with the story. They say she didn’t have suicidal thoughts, and the way she died seemed impossible. The family also blames the police for not watching her closely enough and for taking too long to check on her.
