Good morning.
We report on a sad incident overnight in Brussels, which has left a 12-year-old boy dead and a community in shock. The child died last night after being hit by a police car while on his scooter in Ganshoren, Brussels. The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Monday evening that an accident involving a local police vehicle had occurred on Avenue des Gloires Nationales in Ganshoren.
Details of exactly what happened are still sketchy. We have sent a reporter to the scene to speak to people in the neighbourhood and try to get a clearer picture, and we will have a fuller report tomorrow. We also have questions – for this is not the first fatality or serious accident involving police chases in the city this year, or indeed in the last few weeks.
What exactly are the guidelines for police when it comes to pursuits in vehicles or of vehicles? Is the proliferation of e-scooters making it much harder for law enforcement, given that they are often the vehicle of choice for youngsters just going about their daily business, and also often the vehicle of choice for those up to no good. What are your rights and the do's and don'ts if you happen to be apprehended by the police?
These are all questions we hope to get some answers to over the coming days, and we will be reporting on this as well.
Unfortunately, another tragic death has caught our attention as well – that of a 32-year-old man who was stabbed to death in a park in Antwerp. He had stepped in to try to protect a young woman who was allegedly being harassed by another man as she sat on a park bench with her young child.
There is so much every day that we are being fed about what divides us as communities and how we should be more afraid of those who are "different" from us or "foreign", and how we need to isolate ourselves more as this is the only way to protect "our" society, that I think today of all days, it's worth highlighting the brave, instinctive, protective, caring, community minded and ultimately desperately tragic actions of this young man.
And you should know his name. He was Wajdi Zairi. He was the father of a young son. He was a Tunisian national, and he had been living in Belgium, his new home for five years. He has already given back more to his new community in his brief time here in Belgium than he or his family could ever have imagined.
Belgium in Brief
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1. Child on scooter killed after being hit by police car in Brussels
The victim, born in 2013, was resuscitated at the scene before being transferred to the hospital, where he later died. Read more.
2. Dutch government falls as Geert Wilders’ far-right party quits coalition
"No signatures for our asylum plans. No amendment to the agreement. PVV leaves the coalition," Wilders posted on social media. Read more.
3. ‘We’re Marxists in a Belgian sauce,’ says parliament’s last communist
In an exclusive interview, Raoul Hedebouw declares himself the last communist standing in the Belgian Parliament. But what does that mean in 2025? Read more.
4. Man, 32, killed after trying to protect a young mother and her child
An 18-year-old man has been arrested and remains in police custody. Read more.
5. One in 10 Belgian workers admit to throwing a sickie
A new law is set to come into force tightening the rules on absenteeism. Read more.
6. Raves, cinema and theatre under clear skies: Open air events in Brussels this summer
From raves to cinema screenings, open air events are filling up the summer agenda in Brussels. Read more.
7. Forming a Brussels government by 21 July? Parties try to restart talks
"I am not saying that the entire text is bad, but MR is presenting it as 'take it or leave it'." Read more.
