Antwerp Ex-Cops Jailed for Illegal Search, Theft, and Racial Bias

It all started with a complaint about an illegal search on June 8, 2015 in a house on Huybrechtstraat in Antwerp. Many police officers had entered this house without a search warrant.

According to the facts, they had stolen 1170 euros from the residents and bagged the house. The inspectors present at the time of the facts did not wear name badges, but the tracking and traceability system of the vans had made it possible to identify them, reports Belga.

Six Antwerp police officers were suspected of committing these acts. Their colleagues were tasked with conducting the investigation. They discovered that the accused had repeatedly arrested illegal migrants living far from the metropolis and had stolen sums of up to 2700 euros from them. According to the investigators, these events took place during the 2015-2016 period. Subsequently, the suspects were arrested in the spring of 2016.

In the dock, the six inspectors did not admit the facts. For the Antwerp Criminal Court, the facts are serious. "The public’s trust in the police has been seriously undermined. By targeting people in precarious situations, the defendants have clearly abused their dominant position and hoped to ensure their impunity," it is deplored.

On Tuesday, the Antwerp Criminal Court handed down its verdict. Three of the six defendants were acquitted. Suspended pending their trial, they can now resume service. Fired in the context of another case, Tom D.J. (39 years old) was sentenced to 30 months in prison, half of which was suspended, and a fine of 3000 euros for two violent thefts, an act of racism and abuse of power.

As for the resigning Besart B. (30 years old) and the suspended Nick C. (28 years old), they were sentenced to 40 months in prison, half of which was suspended, and a fine of 4500 euros for two violent thefts, three acts of racism, illegal search, related thefts, falsification of a report, abuse of power, breach of professional secrecy and arbitrary deprivation of liberty.