The Office of the Public Prosecutor (OPP) of West Flanders has launched an investigation into potential harassment practices within the Ostend police.
The inquiry follows the suicide of a 29-year-old former police officer who wrote in a diary that she had been mistreated by her colleagues, according to a report in Het Laatste Nieuws on Friday.
The young woman joined the Ostend police intervention team and served from November 2018 to January 2020. She later claimed to have been a victim of harassment and abuse by her colleagues, and that this had continued long after she left the force.
The most recent incident reportedly occurred on 31 August 2024, when she was allegedly locked in a police van and threatened during a traffic stop. Three weeks later, she took her own life.
In addition to the OPP, the General Inspection of the police is also investigating the matter. Detectives are seeking to determine whether the late officer’s allegations reflect deviant behaviour within the Ostend police. The young woman’s parents plan to join the case as a civil party.
Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts can contact the Suicide Prevention Centre’s helpline at 0800/32.123. It is anonymous, free, and available 24/7
More information is available at www.preventionsuicide.be.
