A French lawyer representing four victims’ families has requested the removal of the investigating judge in the infamous Brabant Killers case, Belgian newspaper *Het Nieuwsblad* reported on Friday.
Patrick Ramael, a lawyer for the families, claims Judge Martine Michel is refusing to investigate a lead he provided.
According to Ramael, the lead implicates two French gangster brothers, known as the Sliman brothers, who have since passed away, in at least part of the brutal crimes attributed to the gang.
"The court of appeal in Mons made it clear to both the federal prosecutor’s office and the investigating judge that this lead must still be investigated. But nothing is happening. For months: nothing," said Ramael. "I’m not attacking the individual, but she is not doing her job."
In June 2024, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and Judge Michel decided to halt their investigation into the case, a move that has drawn criticism and frustration from victims’ families.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a formal request for re-examination, known as a "request for evocation", has been filed. This request will be reviewed on 19 January.
The Brabant Killers, a violent gang responsible for a wave of deadly robberies in Belgium during the 1980s, remain one of the country’s most haunting unsolved criminal cases. Families and advocates continue to push for answers decades later.
