Victims of the jihadist attacks that left 35 dead and hundreds injured in Brussels on 22 March 2016 want to meet the convicted culprits to get answers to questions left pending at the end of their trial.
“Around ten victims have so far expressed their wish to meet those convicted,” said Jamila Adda, president of Life4Brussels, confirming a report by Bx1. “This meeting is fundamental for some people, who feel a great deal of anger at the end of the trial. There is a cathartic effect in meeting those convicted,” explained Adda, who spoke on behalf of more than 600 victims.
A number of people who are members of the V-Europe association are also thinking about it, Philippe Vansteenkiste, president of the organisation representing more than 350 victims of the Brussels attacks, told Belga News Agency, “but we’re giving everyone time to digest the trial, there’s no rush. It’s a process that requires a lot of thought.”
For Life4Brussels, on the other hand, it is a race against time since some of those convicted are due to be sent back to France. “We are going to contact the Belgian and French Ministers of Justice in order to delay this extradition,” the association said.
In French-speaking Belgium, the Médiante non-proft organisation organises 'restorative mediations.' The association, which has been in existence for more than 20 years, aims to explore “the possibilities of restorative dialogue in the most serious cases,” director Antonio Buonatesta said.
Since 2005, a law has enshrined restorative dialogue as a right for all parties in criminal proceedings.
