Two carers from the Medical Pedagogical Institute (MPI) De Luchtballon in Genk have been acquitted over inhumane treatment and abuse of six vulnerable children aged between 9 and 15, leaving many parents shocked by the verdict.
The six children, who required significant care, attended De Luchtballon between 2017 and 2019. Allegations about one caregiver’s rough handling of the children surfaced as early as 2017.
During the investigation and trial, parents testified that their children often returned home frightened and bruised. The children expressed fear of one of the caregivers.
A mother identified her daughter in a report she heard through a friend at a Student Guidance Centre, who mentioned a girl in a wheelchair being mishandled, matching her daughter as the only wheelchair user at MPI.
A colleague, unable to bear the situation any longer, documented the unacceptable behaviour in a notebook. Other colleagues later found the courage to testify against the caregivers.
The two caregivers denied all allegations of abuse, claiming they were victims of a colleague conspiracy. The legal proceedings have been ongoing since February 2024, with judges questioning parents, former management, and then-colleagues during sessions. Although the case was deliberated in early February, the ruling was postponed multiple times.
On Thursday, the two caregivers were ultimately acquitted.
