A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to 100 hours of community service after assaulting his brother and forcing him into the boot of his car, a criminal court in Walloon city Tournai ruled on Friday.
The incident took place in August 2024 at a squat in Bon Secours, Péruwelz, nestled in the Hainaut region. The defendant said he had been searching for his brother, who was struggling with drug addiction and had been missing for several days.
He told the court he believed his brother was being held at the squat and went there with the victim's friend. After finding him in a heavily intoxicated state, he slapped him and forced him into the boot of his vehicle.
"I wanted to get him out of the drug scene," the defendant said. He added that his brother had debts and was using hard drugs, and that he had previously reported his disappearance to the police.
The friend who assisted him was also prosecuted and received a sentence of 80 hours of community service.
Prosecutors acknowledged the difficult situation faced by the family but stressed that forcing someone into a car boot was unacceptable.
"Despite everything, putting someone in a boot is not acceptable," the prosecutor said.
The court handed down community service sentences, noting both defendants had no previous criminal record.
