The Brussels public prosecutors office has confirmed that an investigation has been launched into allegations of sexual assault in the Cimetière d'Ixelles district of Brussels, according to Belga News Agency.
"The Brussels public prosecutor's office can confirm, following information that has appeared on social networks in recent days and questions from the press, that several complaints have been lodged about acts of indecency that have allegedly been committed in the Cimetière d'Ixelles district in recent months," Martin François, spokesperson for the office, said on Tuesday.
"A full investigation is underway to shed light on the exact circumstances of these events. In the interest of the investigation, no further comment will be made," he added.
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⚠️ À TOUS CEUX DE BRUXELLES ⚠️ Notamment les filles ! ⬇️ Évitez d’aller au Waff et au El Café (Ixelles), le serveur du Waff a drogué et violé deux filles jeudi. Après qu’elles aient déposé plainte, le patron l’a transféré au El Café. Le serveur a déjà 17 plaintes à son actif.
— Golden Wings ✨ (@RayHDDI) October 11, 2021
Translation: Warning for all of Brussels, especially the girls! Avoid going to the Waff and El Café (Ixelles), the waiter at the Waff drugged and raped two girls on Thursday. After they filed a complaint, the owner transferred him to El Café. The waiter already has 17 complaints to his name.
Women on social media shared testimonies of being drugged and sexually assaulted by the employee after visiting Waff, warning others to stay away. After those accounts were shared, at least a dozen more women came forward with similar allegations against the same employee.
Waff reacted to the allegations by suspending the bartender, but reports then circulated on social media that the bartender had actually just been transferred to El Café, another bar in the same area.
People are calling on others to boycott both places, and Waff and the El Café have both issued statements on social media but turned off commenting so that no one can reply to them.
Multiple rallies were later arranged in Brussels, with participants marching against sexual violence.
