The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into two incidents in the prison of Sint-Gillis in which a detainee allegedly inserted drugs anally under force or threat. The investigation follows reports about the incidents in the press, as the prison itself had not informed the public prosecutor’s office of the facts. De Standaard reports this and the Brussels public prosecutor’s office confirmed the news on Tuesday evening.
On February 7, five detainees allegedly forced a prisoner to anally insert packages of drugs that had been thrown over the wall during the walk. They allegedly pushed the man to the ground and used a bottle to introduce the drugs. On February 13, the same five allegedly threatened another detainee so that he brought in drugs himself.
A staff member who was aware of the first incident but took no action was relieved of duty, but the police were not notified until two weeks after the incident. However, the public prosecutor’s office was not informed by the management.
“Following several articles that appeared in the press last week about abuse in the prison of Sint-Gillis, the public prosecutor’s office contacted the prison to inquire about the situation,” says public prosecutor’s office spokesperson Willemien Baert. “The prison management informed the public prosecutor’s office that it had started an internal investigation after becoming aware of the two incidents.”
“As the Public Prosecution Service, the public prosecutor’s office has requested the prison to report the facts as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson continues. “At this time, no complaint has been filed by one or more victims. Nevertheless, the public prosecutor’s office has decided to initiate an investigation to determine the precise circumstances of those facts and identify the perpetrator(s).”
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Tags: Public prosecutor opens investigation incidents SintGillis prison Brussels
