On Tuesday, the Brussels Council Chamber scheduled oral arguments in the case concerning Adil’s death for 9 January. The 19-year-old from Anderlecht died on 10 April 2020 after being rammed by a police car.
The case should have been examined earlier, but new investigative duties were ordered last May following revelations. A witness stated that racist remarks about Adil were made by one of the three police officers charged.
On 10 April 2020, Adil, a young man of 19, had fled on his scooter from a police patrol that wanted to check him at Place Docteur De Meersman in Anderlecht. He collided head-on with an oncoming police car on the Quai de l’Industrie and died as a result of his injuries.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on 26 November 2020 that it would request that the case be dismissed “against the protagonists and in particular the driver of the police vehicle” in this case.
On 9 April 2021, Adil’s family expressed their intention to request additional investigative duties, which they did through their lawyer, Alexis Deswaef, at the hearing of the Council Chamber on 20 April.
A 'Je suis Adil' banner hanging from a window in the city centre of Brussels, Friday 17 April 2020. Credit: Belga / John Thys
The case was then adjourned by the chamber, which initially set oral arguments for 16 May 2023. However, in view of new requests for additional investigative duties, the case was again adjourned to the following 5 September.
The new requests were made following the new testimony which was given by a colleague of one of the three police officers charged. She claimed that he had made racist remarks towards Adil after the boy’s death.
