A mother and father who struck a police officer at a lockdown party in Waterloo in 2020 have been sentenced to 46 hours of community service and fined 800 euros.
On 28 December 2020, police intervened at the family’s home following an anonymous tip about a party that violated Covid-19 restrictions. During the police intervention, the situation on the ground quickly degenerated.
In addition to the criminal offence related to the Covid-19 regulations prohibiting gatherings, the father, mother and eldest daughter were prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor of the Walloon Brabant for acts classified as "resisting police arrest" and "assault and battery of officers in the exercise of their duties."
During the intervention, the mother violently slapped a police officer who was preventing her from filming. She was then subdued, and as she resisted, she was pushed to the ground. Her husband and their adult daughter also attempted to intervene and were similarly subdued.
The incident was filmed and shared on social media, leading to significant media attention.
The family’s lawyers argued that the police intervention was illegal, but the court ruled otherwise. They also claimed that the officers used excessive force, but the court acquitted all police officers involved.
In deciding the penalties, the court considered the seriousness of the actions, the unacceptable behaviour of the defendants, their lack of prior offences, and the elapsed time since the incident.
