14 teachers have now individually joined the complaint of the municipality against several local politicians for inciting hatred, after the riots that broke out in late April in the Schaerbeek school because of an alleged child abuse case.
In April, several parents with children at the Schaerbeek school protested in front of the school gates after blood was found in the underwear of a 4-year-old toddler, and they suspected sexual abuse.
After an investigation, the public prosecutor announced there was no evidence of sexual abuse, but that the child had an infection. However, the protest escalated and the school had to close for a few days. Immediately afterwards, Schaerbeek Mayor Bernard Clerfayt (Défi) filed a complaint against three municipal councillors in Schaerbeek and Brussels City for inciting hatred.
14 teachers at the school have now joined Clerfayt and filed a complaint of their own. The municipality will pay for a lawyer for the school, to support the teachers during the legal procedure.
The accused politicians of the socialist PS and Christian democratic CDH parties are said to have stirred up unrest on social media, which was only about political recovery, according to Clerfayt.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
