The Brussels police officer who caused the death of Fabian (11) by ramming him off his scooter with a police car in Parc Elisabeth in Ganshoren in early June will appear before the Chamber of Indictment on Monday.
The officer, who works for the Brussels West police zone (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Jette, Ganshoren, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and Koekelberg), was arrested earlier this month. While he was not in prison, he was at home with an electronic ankle bracelet.
On 13 June, the Brussels Chamber of Indictment decided to extend his provisional detention by one month, but the man appealed against this decision.
Ongoing investigation
On 2 June, Fabian was killed during a chase that started in the municipality of Koekelberg – a street away from where it came to a fatal end in Parc Elisabeth, which is on the border with the municipality of Ganshoren.
He was on his way home on an electric scooter when the police wanted to check him because he was too young to use an electric scooter. For reasons that are unclear, the boy fled, and the police pursued him and ran him over with a police vehicle. The boy was taken to hospital but died there from his injuries.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office handed the investigation into the accident over to Committee P (the independent police oversight body). According to the investigation, the officers had not activated the siren or blue flashing lights during the chase, contrary to what they initially stated.
This image shows a sign with 'Fabian, 11 ans, tué par la police' during a silent vigil for 11-year-old Fabian who died after being chased and hit by a police car. Credit: Belga/Mateusz Kukulka
The driver of the police vehicle was arrested and placed under arrest warrant, albeit under electronic surveillance. The man was charged with malicious obstruction of traffic resulting in death. Theoretically, this means he could get sentenced to 20-30 years in prison.
According to his lawyers, Maxime Lauria and Sven Mary, both the charges and the deprivation of liberty are excessive. They also consider the Public Prosecutor's communication about the investigation, and in particular about whether or not the flashing lights and siren were activated, to be premature.
The police officer who was a passenger in the vehicle also appeared before the investigating judge, but was released and not charged.
