After numerous demonstrations following the ruling in the trial of Sanda Dia, the Supreme Court of Justice (HRJ) is now considering launching an investigation into whether so-called "class justice" played a part, as protestors are claiming.
The judgment in the case surrounding the death of Sanda Dia, a 20-year-old student at KU Leuven who died in 2018 after a hazing ritual organised by now-disbanded student club Reuzegom, has led to widespread outrage in recent weeks.
Many people – including political party chairs Raoul Hedebouw (PTB-PVDA), Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) and even Walloon Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR) – have criticised the ruling, as many believe the 18 Reuzegom members who were on trial for Dia's death got off very lightly, with up to 300 hours of community service and a €400 fine.
In the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, the Belgian Workers Party (PTB-PVDA) asked for a debate on the societal sense that "class justice" played a part in the ruling. Those on trial were all sons of judges, business leaders and lawyers – Antwerp's supposed white elite. Dia, on the other hand, was of mixed heritage (his father arrived in Belgium from Senegal as an asylum seeker around 30 years ago) and came from a working-class background.
An internship and spare change
The feeling that the Reuzegom members' class background played a part in their sentences (which critics have compared to "a student internship" and "spare change") led to a number of silent protests and demonstrations across Belgium and has now even made its way to the Netherlands.
Still, an objective discussion on whether or not class justice played a part in the verdict is difficult, if only because very little research has been done into it. Asking the High Council for Justice for such an investigation is an option, but this can only be done by Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenbore or by the entire Chamber.
On Wednesday, the Justice Committee decided that chair Kristien Van Vaerenbergh will inform the Supreme Court of Justice (HRJ) by letter that the Committee is in favour of an investigation into the matter, De Morgen reports. According to her, the HRJ had already put that question on the agenda for Thursday 15 June. If necessary, additional hearings can be organised afterwards.
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The HRJ is separate from parliament, the government and the Justice Ministry. By conducting investigations and handling complaints, the body exercises independent control over the judiciary in Belgium.
While such an investigation is rather exceptional, HRJ administrator Veerle Vertongen told De Standaard that previous class justice cases have been opened into the death of the Slovak man Jozef Chovanec in a police cell in Charleroi Airport, and the death of Julie Van Espen, who was killed by a man awaiting his appeal trial for previous a crime.
