Mouscron Tragedy: 5-Year Prison Sentence for Stepfather in Fatal Chase

The 44-year-old man appeared this Thursday, weakened and in tears, to answer charges of involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of traffic. Facing him, the public prosecutor demanded a custodial sentence, while his lawyer pleaded for a suspended sentence. This hearing plunges justice back into the tragedy of February 13, 2021, which occurred on express road N58. That day, around 2 p.m., a collision in the parking lot of a supermarket in Dottignies escalated into a deadly road confrontation involving his Opel Astra estate car and a Polo driven by a young French motorist.

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According to elements presented by the prosecution during the hearing, "a high-speed chase ensued" and the two vehicles "were traveling very fast". As the stepfather attempted to overtake his opponent, "the Polo driver then swerved and the Astra was hurled against a lamppost". The lateral impact was of unprecedented brutality, even knocking the lighting pole down in the middle of the road. In the back of the family car, Louhan, 8 years old, and his little sister Leyla, 4 years old, were killed instantly, despite the massive deployment of emergency services and the presence of mayor Brigitte Aubert at the scene.

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The Opel driver had survived the impact. Taken care of while still conscious, he did not need to be extricated by firefighters before his transfer to a hospital in Courtrai. The area had been secured by six police teams to allow an expert to intervene. For his part, the other motorist involved in this deadly chase was a minor at the time of the facts. He will face the same charges before the youth court.