Prison security panic buttons have been checked nationwide, Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt reported on Wednesday at a parliamentary committee meeting.
An investigation was launched last week after a social worker was sexually assaulted during an interview with an inmate at Antwerp Prison. It showed that the panic button in the room had failed to function because it was not connected.
Since then, inspections have been carried out in prisons across the country, and tests have been conducted to ensure this issue does not recur. The victim managed to activate her mobile alarm, and security guards intervened within a minute.
“After a minute, sixty seconds, assistance was there, although, in such circumstances, it feels like an eternity,” the minister acknowledged in response to numerous questions.
Despite the security procedures, prison remains a dangerous place, Van Tigchelte noted. “We cannot guarantee absolute safety. Even if all procedures are in order, I cannot ensure that nothing will ever happen again in prison,” he emphasised.
The perpetrator of the assault was incarcerated for theft and reportedly suffers from psychological issues, a situation that is, unfortunately, all too common in prison, according to the minister.
Currently, 1,054 individuals are imprisoned when they should be in secure psychiatric facilities, he said.
