Following Antwerp's decision to put almost 50 young people under house arrest on New Year's Eve, Brussels mayors are now contemplating similar measures. In Anderlecht, some minors risk arrest if they go out without a parent or guardian.
For the third year in a row, Antwerp has decided to impose "preventative" house arrests on New Year's Eve. The measure will target 47 young people who are known to authorities and have multiple previous offences. Since house arrests were first imposed, the number of people to be under preventative arrest has almost doubled.
Similar measures are now being considered in the Brussels region due to violence and anti-social behaviour on New Year's Eve, Bruzz reported. More than 200 people were arrested last year, and firefighters extinguished 19 burning cars throughout the night. Emergency services are also regularly attacked, including with fireworks.
Anderlecht taking steps
The Conference of Brussels Mayors is studying preventive house arrest for known rioters. The step was reportedly proposed by the Anderlecht and Saint-Gilles mayors, but all other mayors were interested too.
It is up to individual mayors to introduce such a preventative measure. Many will now draft mayoral decrees to enable these measures and will have to justify why certain people should stay inside preventively. "As this is a violation of individual rights, it must be properly justified," said Etterbeek Mayor and head of the Conference, Vincent De Wolf (MR).
Destruction in Cureghem, Anderlecht. Credit: Belga / Johanna Geron
Anderlecht has already announced that young people under 16 from large parts of the Cureghem district risk arrest if they go out after 19:00 on 31 December without a parent or guardian. One in five people arrested last New Year's Eve were minors (-16s), which is a higher percentage than in other neighbourhoods.
However, Anderlecht Mayor Fabrice Cumps (PS) stressed that the measure is not a house arrest. Chief of police for Brussels-Midi, Jurgen De Landsheer, said measures are two-fold and also aim to protect young people.
"We want to send a signal to parents: the street is no place for young people on New Year's Eve." He pointed to the dangerous use of fireworks, despite the region-wide ban. Young people who are found by police alone on the streets will be arrested, and parents will have to collect them from the police station. De Landsheer stressed that they will follow up on the family situation.
In the run-up to New Year's Eve, municipality staff will inform residents in Cureghem about the measures and how to prevent disturbances.
