The waiting period for an appointment with one of the four psychologists at the Brussels Support Centre (CAB), which works to prevent reoffending by sex offenders, is now three to four months.
The psychologists work part-time, equivalent to two full-time positions, and are struggling to meet deadlines for submitting their assessments required in judicial cases involving sexual offence perpetrators in Brussels.
This delay is affecting some decisions at the Brussels Criminal Court, according to its press service. CAB’s detailed reports, crucial for judges in cases involving probation measures, are indispensable in cases where children and adolescents are involved.
Each report, typically around 15 pages, provides insights into an offender’s sexual and psychological profile, their risk of reoffending, and the potential for alternative measures to pre-trial detention.
Structural underfunding causing delays
Currently, the CAB’s two equivalent full-time positions must handle between 400 and 500 cases annually, including 150 to 200 new judicial mandates, compared to just 120 cases per year in 2011. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep our heads above water,” says Sophie Heyden, CAB coordinator.
The bottleneck stems from structural underfunding that the CAB has endured since its inception, Heyden explained. Unlike the Walloon (UPPL) and Flemish (UFC) support centres, the CAB does not receive regional financial backing and relies largely on federal funding from the Justice Department, which fails to cover all staffing and operational costs.
A spokesperson for the Brussels Criminal Court confirmed that so far, delays in receiving CAB assessments have not resulted in any prisoners being released from custody. However, the Court has warned that if waiting times exceed what is considered reasonable, a judge could order the release of prisoners.
