Brussels Firefighter Files Complaint After Racist Insults, Sparking Investigation

"It’s a very difficult situation to live with, which generates a lot of stress. Racism exists among firefighters in Brussels as elsewhere, but these acts do not represent the entire service and all my colleagues," said the trainee firefighter via the Brussels Fire and Emergency Medical Service (Siamu).

He said he had received advice from his legal department and filed a complaint with the police. Even though he feels deeply affected, he nevertheless reassures that the profession continues to motivate him. What is important for him is not to give up, in order to change mentalities.

The facts took place last Friday and Tuesday. The trainee firefighter, of Maghrebi origin, found his intervention helmet covered with racist terms and insults.

Similarly, a penis and a swastika had been drawn on the helmet last Friday. On Tuesday, his locker was forced open. He found slices of ham and a can of beer on his clothes.

"We can only deplore this incident, fortunately very isolated," said Colonel Pierre Menu, Deputy Director General of the Brussels Siamu. "Many members of our staff are of Maghrebi origin, especially among the youngest. [...] We are all shocked by the facts. It is incomprehensible how much it is in opposition to our values," he hammered.