A former police officer in Brussels has been convicted of anti-Semitic and misogynistic harassment at work.
The officer, previously with the Midi Dog Squad (Anderlecht/Saint-Gilles/Forest), was sentenced to six months probation by the Brussels correctional court. It is understood his behaviour primarily targeted two Jewish colleagues; a third officer allegedly received hurtful comments about her mother’s death.
In 2018 the case came to light when an officer complained to the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism about the accused playing German military marches in front of two Jewish colleagues. He had allegedly also labelled one of them as stingy, specifically during the training of a money-detection dog.
Allegedly, the officer discriminated against subordinates he believed were not working hard enough, causing difficulties with their team transfers and holiday requests.
Furthermore, he was reported to make sexist remarks towards some female colleagues and offensive comments to a police officer who had lost her mother, the labour auditor claimed. Initially, they requested a sentence of six months probation.
The defence argued for acquittal, denying all accusations. They strongly refuted any hatred towards Jews, stating the accused was off duty the day of the Brussels Jewish Museum attack but had promptly arrived to help. He had also previously advised colleagues to visit a related Jewish memorial site.
The man on trial also denied the officer playing Nazi music in his office, along with sexist comments and allegations of discrimination against his subordinates.
However, the court confirmed the evidence. "There is clearly a case of harassment against three subordinates," the court ruled. "There was indeed a toxic environment, and this individual overstepped boundaries with several individuals."
Whilst acknowledging the officer’s good intentions and work, the court noted that certain individuals were targeted and treated inappropriately, and this was well-established.
The former officer, now retired, received six months probation and a subsequent fine of €8,000. He must also pay damages of €700, €3,000, and €5,000 to three former colleagues. The Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities will also receive a symbolic compensation of €1.
