The Belgian state is appealing in cassation against the decision to release Freddy Horion (76), the longest-serving prisoner in our country. This was reported by VRT News and is confirmed by a good source.
Source: BELGA
Today at 7:40 PM
Horion was sentenced to death in 1980, later commuted to life in prison, for the murder of the five members of the Steyaert family at their home in Sint-Amandsberg in June 1979, and of the Polish woman Hélène Lichachevski in her clothing store in Ghent a few months ago. earlier. But in 2018, a panel of court psychiatrists ruled that he is no longer dangerous and no longer belongs in prison. According to the panel, he did belong in a forensic psychiatric center.
READ ALSO. Freddy Horion determined her life, the man who murdered her family: “It was when I was 19. Then my life took a big hit”
That did not happen, and so the European Court of Human Rights convicted the Belgian state in May last year. The appeals court followed that decision in December and ruled that Horion must be taken to a facility by the end of June. For each day that Horion is in prison longer, Belgium had to pay Horion a penalty of 1,000 euros.
It now appears that the Belgian state will appeal against that decision. The Court of Cassation, the highest court in the country, does not rule on the facts themselves, but does check whether the process was conducted correctly. Because this is a civil matter, the appeal does not have a suspensive effect.
READ ALSO. Horion is a ‘model prisoner’, but psychiatrists see danger: if he is released, he may want to leave a “mark” on society
Tags: Belgian state files cassation appeal decision release Freddy Horion
