At least a fifth of the 120 people who have died in Belgium following police interventions since 2010 suffered from mental health issues, according to an investigation published on Wednesday by Le Vif, L’Echo, De Tijd, and Knack.
Of the 120 victims, at least 24 were confirmed to have mental health disorders, while 14 others were suspected of having them. In this group of 38 individuals, 22 were killed by firearms, and nine died in detention. All had physically threatened police officers.
On Monday, the appeals chamber in Hainaut dismissed charges against 31 suspects in the case concerning Jozef Chovanec’s death. Chovanec, a Slovak national, is seen as a key case in understanding how police currently handle psychosis. Law enforcement officials have acknowledged shortcomings in this area.
The figure of 120 deaths was derived from a database built using archives from participating media outlets. The actual number is believed to be higher, as no official authority has a comprehensive overview of such cases.
