It has been weeks since 11-year-old Fabian died beneath the wheels of a police vehicle in Élisabeth Park, but his family has yet to receive so much as a letter, a phone call, or a single word of regret from the officers involved. Not a gesture. Not even a whisper of remorse.
"They took his life," says Ludmila Bulgar, the family’s lawyer, in an exclusive interview with The Brussels Times. "And yet they couldn’t find it in themselves to say: I’m sorry. Not even a line, not even anonymously. Just silence."
Fabian, who had just finished primary school and was set to celebrate his birthday, was riding an electric scooter in a public park when a police patrol vehicle struck and killed him. Two police officers were in the car and claimed there was a pursuit. Still, questions remain about the proportionality of their response and crucially, whether any clear warning was ever given to the child.
"An intellectual swindle"
"There is dishonesty in the way the debate has been framed," says Bulgar, visibly frustrated by the media spin. "You often hear: 'When the police say stop, you must stop.' However, that assumes the child was asked to stop. We don’t know that. That’s what the investigation is supposed to determine."
Throughout the interview, Bulgar stressed what she calls "Une escroquerie intellectuelle" (an intellectual swindle) that, she claims, is propagated by the defence lawyers of the officers. "To start the debate there (complying with the police) is to cheat. It lets the public think everything that followed was the child's fault."
Lawyer Ludmila Bulgar pictured at a ceremony for the 11-year-old Fabian who died after being chased and hit by a police car, on Thursday 05 June 2025, in the Elisabeth Park, in Ganshoren, Brussels. Credit : Belga/ Eric Lalmand
The family has already constituted itself as a civil party to ensure full access to the case file and to demand compensation once the criminal proceedings advance. Denis – Fabian's step-brother might lose an academic year; the mother and other members of the family suffer insomnia and flashes of post-traumatic stress. Under Belgian law, each relative's moral and educational loss will be assessed individually, not merely "by repercussion", Bulgar explains. Each of the family members is grieving differently, and each has their damage. That’s what the court will eventually have to consider – not just physical injury, but psychological harm. "The silence of the police only deepens that harm," Bulgar adds.
"There’s been no contact. Nothing. No word of compassion," Bulgar regrets. "Not from the officers. Not from their lawyers. Not even off the record. It's as if this boy never existed." She is quick to clarify: this is not about revenge. "The family doesn’t want blood. They want the truth. They want to understand how it was possible that two adults in a police vehicle allegedly made a series of decisions that led to the death of a child in broad daylight – and then said nothing."
The second police officer in the car (a more senior female colleague) has not been indicted. Fabian's mother keeps questioning whether she had any quick reflex to stop the driver, or could have at least been a voice of reason.
Adding insult to injury, is the political recuperation of the accident, the family has not aligned itself with the political protests that followed Fabian’s death. While they understand the public anger, they remain focused on the personal – on the unbearable void left behind. Still, there’s no denying the broader questions hanging in the air.
"The system hasn’t failed them entirely," Bulgar concedes. "The prosecutor did meet with the family. There is an ongoing investigation. That’s something. But from the officers who were behind the wheel? Nothing."
In the fortnight since, commentators have compared Fabian's death to a roll-call of other cases in which police chases of 'vulnerable' road users ended fatally. The prosecutor has already confirmed that the police vehicle’s sirens were not turned on. Witnesses claim no explicit command was given to Fabian. For the family, if true, this turns the official narrative into not only a tragedy, but a sense of betrayal.
However, the defence lawyers, Sven Mary and Maxim Lauria, insist that the prosecution spoke "prematurely" about the siren and gyrophare findings and argue that their client poses no flight risk. Prosecutors counter that releasing the officer so soon would damage public confidence and risk witness intimidation.
Lawyer Sven Mary and lawyer Maxime Lauria pictured during a press conference of VSOA - SLFP Police union regarding the tragic accident in Ganshoren on 2 June. Credit : Belga/ Benoit Doppagne
What happens next?
The police officer appeared before the chamber of indictments on Monday. The officer’s defence has requested his conditional release. The chamber now has until Friday to deliver its decision.
The examining magistrate is expected to rule within weeks on whether additional charges, including potential misconduct by the accompanying officer, are warranted. Forensic experts are still analysing dash-cam data, park CCTV, and eyewitness information supplied by bystanders.
The family plans to commission an independent report; their civil action will quantify the psychological 'collateral' damage. Meanwhile, the police (as an institution) are under scrutiny over training standards and the protocols governing pursuits in vehicle-free areas.
A second inquiry is probing the leak of the initial police report to RTBF; a third is checking whether the e-scooter brand complied with Belgian and European legislation and whether the conditions of sale for such devices were met.
Last Friday, Fabian would have celebrated his 12th birthday. To mark this tragic anniversary, three Brussels mothers organised a gathering in his memory. Several dozen people came together to pay tribute, laying down flowers, drawings, and messages of affection.
On site, caps bearing the slogan “We are all Fabian!” were handed out to participants, reinforcing the strong sense of solidarity surrounding the cause. The atmosphere was one of deep emotion, mixed with a collective resolve to ensure the tragedy is not forgotten.
The procession then made its way to the Basilica of Koekelberg, where the commemoration reached its poignant climax: a balloon release above the landmark, symbolising both hope and the enduring memory of Fabian.
People gather for a vigil remembering 11-year-old Fabian who died after being chased and hit by a police car in Brussels. Credit: Belga/Maxime Asselberghs
Above all, the lawyer says, Fabian's mother keeps circling back to a single thought: "How could two adults keep driving at my little boy? One losing control, I can understand. Two? Never."
