Belgium’s Comité P (P Committee), which polices the police, received 2,783 admissible complaints about police conduct in 2025.
This 9.4% increase compared to the previous year was driven largely by widespread protests.
The surge in complaints peaked in October during a national demonstration that attracted between 80,000 and 140,000 participants.
In 70% of closed cases, the P Committee found no evidence of police misconduct.
Allegations of physical violence were the most common type of complaint.
According to the P Committee, force was often used as a reaction to escalating tensions during police-citizen interactions rather than as a response to genuine threats.
Poor communication between officers and the public played a significant role in these incidents.
The Committee recommended prioritising improvements in the quality of initial police-citizen interactions, focusing on respect and empathy.
It suggested clearer communication with the public, better explanation of decisions, and more accurate documentation of complaints.
The report also called for greater attention to proportionality in the use of coercive measures and more frequent use of de-escalation techniques.
Finally, the P Committee urged stricter assessments of empathy in police recruitment processes, along with closer screening for risk factors such as extremism, inflexibility, and negligence.
