The judicial enquiry into the attacks of 22 March 2016 at Brussels airport and Maalbeek metro station is now complete, the Brussels prosecutor’s office has announced.
On the morning of 22 March in 2016 a bomb attack took place at the airport, followed one hour later by an explosion on the metro in the European quarter. The attacks were carried out by two suicide bombers at the airport and one on the metro.
The attack killed 32 people at the airport and metro, with 340 injured. Three terrorists died in the attacks. One man left the scene at the airport without detonating his suitcase bomb, and now faces a trial.
The judicial investigation has now been completed, according to the federal prosecutor's office in charge of the enquiry. The case involves the federal prosecutor, with the cooperation of the prosecutor’s offices in Brussels and in Flemish Brabant.
The case file is now open to the civil parties – essentially the victims and their families, as well as parties such as Brussels Airport company – to come forward with proposals for additional suggestions for investigative plans. That might, for example, include suggestions for additional judicial enquiries, or persons to be investigated.
For the time being, the civil parties number more than 800 persons. Befoe a case can be brought to court, all supplementary investigative tasks have to be either accepted or refused by the federal prosecutor, before any trial can take place.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
