Nearly 30 police officers of the Brussels North police zone called in sick on Tuesday morning after an incident with a minor in the municipality of Schaerbeek on Sunday.
The absence of officers from the police station in the Northern District in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek is a response to an incident in which a minor lashed out at an officer with a knife, confirmed the National Syndicate of Police and Security Personnel (NSPV).
"An incident did indeed occur on Sunday evening," Brussels Public Prosecutor Willemien Baert stated in a press release. "In Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, the police found an 11-year-old boy who had run away. When the police wanted to take him away, the boy resisted and hit an officer twice with a folded pleating knife in his fist."
Given his young age, he was not made available to the juvenile judge, nor could he be placed in an institution. "The minor's parents are very involved and the Brussels Youth Prosecutor's Office will closely monitor the minor's situation and ensure that appropriate measures are taken," she added.
Emptying the ocean with a spoon
No one was injured and the young man could be taken to the station, she clarified. "It concerns an incident that took place in a very specific context. We have released the young man, but he will certainly be monitored." According to legal sources, the boy is reportedly struggling with very specific problems and is well-followed by his parents, but things went wrong on Sunday evening.
Following an earlier attack on police officers in Schaerbeek – in which one officer, Thomas Monjoie, died – in November, a major police strike and a tribute to Monjoie were organised. Since then, however, the frustrations have continued to pile up.
This weekend's incident reportedly was the last straw for the officers of the Brussels-North police zone, leading to 30 police officers collectively reporting sick because they are tired of "trying to empty the ocean with a spoon."
As a result, there are currently hardly any police patrols in the area. However, a spokesperson for the Brussels-North police zone emphasised that the commissariat in the North district will remain open. "There is a reception. We are doing everything we can to guarantee public services."
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The fact that the incident occurred at the same commissariat where stabbed officer Monjoie worked is extra painful. "That has a serious impact on the staff," said the spokesperson.
"It is another incident where someone tries to stab a policeman, and that person is immediately released," police sources told Belga News Agency. "We have such incidents with stabbing weapons every week. A week before our colleague was stabbed, someone was even arrested with a samurai sword, who was also immediately released. Recently, a minor also threw ammonia at a police officer."
The problem is that if the police officer is not injured or does not file a report, the public prosecutor's office will not follow up. "Only when there are serious injuries, action is taken. But many police officers do not report or continue working, even if they are slightly injured, because they do not want to let their colleagues down. In this way, the so-called zero tolerance will not survive."
Meanwhile, the Brussels Public Prosecutor emphasised that violence against the police "is and remains" a priority, and an appropriate response will be given in function of each specific case.
