A criminal investigation has been launched after a newspaper published details from a leaked police report into the death of a schoolboy who died in a police chase as he rode his scooter through a park.
Fabian, 11, was hit by a police car from the Brussels-West zone shortly before 18:00 on Monday, 2 June, as he rode his electric scooter through Parc Elisabeth in Ganshoren, near the Koekelberg Basilica. Although paramedics tried to resuscitate him, he died later in hospital.
Initial findings from the investigation suggest that police officers attempted to stop Fabian as he was riding his scooter in order to carry out a check. The boy then fled, prompting a pursuit.
Following the publication of an article in RTBF which included information from a confidential police report, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office denounced “a frantic race for scoops”.
People attend a silent march in memory of the 11-year-old Fabian who died last Monday after he was was chased and hit by a police car. Credit: Nicolas Maeterlinck, Belga.
In a press release seen by the Belga News Agency, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office said: “It is fundamental that hearings take place without external pressure, without pollution and in complete objectivity to guarantee fair justice.
“The circumstance, particularly for the victims, of reading in the press the contents of the case file without assistance, in a brutal manner, can prove traumatic (...) This frantic race for scoops is not compatible with humane, serene and high-quality justice.”
According to the public prosecutor, the elements contained in the case file are protected by law. Any behaviour which violates professional secrecy can reportedly be punished with up to three years' imprisonment and a fine of €8,000.
The prosecutor confirmed that a criminal investigation has been launched and entrusted to Committee P - the Standing Police Oversight Committee.
A spokesperson for RTBF told l'Echo that it was in the public interest for the article to be published.
Four arrests on Sunday
This development came after clashes broke out at a march held in Fabian's name over the weekend. On Sunday, several hundred people gathered in Parc Elisabeth for a march to the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean police station.
A small group reportedly insulted the police and threw projectiles in their direction. The police then used a water cannon to disperse the crowd and arrested four people.
Fabian’s death has had a profound effect on people across Belgium. Several vigils have been held in his memory and dozens of people of all ages and backgrounds have been to lay flowers and leave tributes near to where the schoolboy died.
Speaking to the Brussels Times at a vigil for Fabian held in Parc Elisabeth last week, Amal Rezzouke, 54, said: “He was just a child on a scooter in a park. I’m a mother to four children and now a grandmother too. It could have been my child. “I’m sure the boy was scared – scared of the police.”
The public prosecutor's office will be holding a press conference next week on the progress of the case.
