A total of 132 people received temporary restraining orders between the start of the first coronavirus lockdown and the beginning of September, various francophone newspapers report.
Such restraining orders are measures in the fight against domestic violence, and the number increased significantly compared to previous years.
The vast majority of them were handed out by the prosecutor’s offices of Antwerp (58) and Limburg (57). Other orders were issues by those of Mons - Tournai (9), Charleroi (3), Luxembourg (3), and West Flanders (2).
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The number of restraining orders seems to have increased compared to the 702 restraining orders imposed between 2015 and 2019.
The law has existed since 2012. If the presence of a person poses a serious or immediate threat to the safety of one or more persons in the same residence, a restraining order can be imposed for a maximum period of 14 days.
The Brussels Times
