For the third year in a row, Antwerp Mayor – and Federal Government formator – Bart De Wever (N-VA) is seeking to impose "preventative" house arrests on New Year's Eve, against almost 50 young people who are perceived as troublemakers.
The Antwerp Mayor first took the measure in 2022, and put 27 young people under house arrest to pre-empt disturbances during end-of-year celebrations.
Those put under house arrest were known to authorities and had multiple previous offences. The Mayor's office said those put on the list posed "a significant risk of disturbing the peace on New Year's Eve".
Preventative house arrests were also imposed last year, this time for 31 young people. They were aged between 13 and 22, with an average age of 17, and mostly male.
As reported by De Standaard, De Wever is now seeking to enforce the preventative arrests for the third year in a row. This time, they will target 47 young people.
A spokesperson for the Antwerp Mayor's office said that the Mayor "takes all measures that are necessary to ensure that New Year's Eve in Antwerp is a carefree celebration for everyone".
"This also includes preventive measures to ensure public safety and orders within his powers under the “Nieuwe Gemeentewet” (New Municipal Act). He has applied the instrument of preventive house arrests for the first time in 2022," they said, adding that in the past two years the measure has been "successful".
"This year, for the third year in a row, he will impose this on known perpetrators who pose a threat to the quality of life in our neighbourhoods and to the safety and functioning of the police and emergency services," they said.
The rising number of preventative house arrests in Antwerp has worried several experts. They say De Wever may be overstepping the mark, towards the role of a criminal judge.
"House arrest is presented as a preventive measure, but the restrictive nature of it also gives it the appearance of a punishment," professors Stefaan Pleysier and Johan Put (both affiliated with the Faculty of Law and Criminological Sciences of KU Leuven) said in an opinion piece in De Standaard.
Risk analyses were supposedly carried out for house arrests. However, according to Pleysier and Put, these seem "rudimentary and not very accurate".
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The Belgian Human Rights League has said the repeated use of preventative house arrests is "dangerous".
"Not only is the number rising rapidly, it is also dangerous when mayors interpret their vaguely formulated powers regarding public order so broadly. House arrests severely restrict someone's freedom of movement, without a legal ruling," chairperson Kati Verstrepen told De Standaard.
The Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities has said it supports Antwerp's approach. It considers house arrests as a means to safeguard public order.
Those put under preventative arrest are not allowed to leave their homes from 18:00 on New Year's Eve until 08:00 the following morning. Young people caught violating the order face arrest and a fine of up to €350.
