A rat infestation at the Saint-Gilles Prison2 has been ongoing for several years and has still not been eradicated, according to video evidence obtained by Sudpresse and Het Nieuwsblad on Friday.
The footage shows rats roaming around the prison yard and in the cells. The Central Supervisory Board of the Prison System (CCSP) acknowledges the problem while adding that the measures put in place so far to eliminate the rats have not been successful.
The rat infestation has already been going on for some time. In 2022, the CCSP wrote in its annual report that the environment at Saint-Gilles prison was "morbid" and that "some areas of the penal institution are so filthy that you only believe it after seeing it with your own eyes." In 2019, an inmate gave evidence to BRUZZ, claiming that "rats walk all over you at night."
Self-clean
The infestation is said to be caused by inmates throwing rubbish and food scraps through the cell bars, which attracts rats. "Saint-Gilles is a dilapidated prison. The problem is deep-rooted and concerns the dirt in the courtyards and between the cells and the outside wall," said Ruben Bruynooghe, a member of the Saint-Gilles Prison supervisory committee.
The inmates themselves are responsible for the cleaning and hygiene of the prison’s cells and courtyards, but there is reportedly not enough equipment available to carry out this task properly. According to Bruynooghe, better equipment is indeed needed, but it would not be enough to solve the problem.
"Some areas can only be cleaned from outside the cells. That’s why we have outsourced this task to a company outside the prison," he said.
