Railway police charged with abusing homeless man

Two officers of the railway police were arrested on Friday and held in detention over the weekend on suspicion of mistreating a homeless man. The two officers work from South Station in Brussels, and the allegations come soon after another group of officers from the same post were sentenced for abusing detainees, including homeless people who take shelter in the station.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at the end of February last year, when the two officers searched the man, then forced him to go with them to a remote area where they made him undress and hand over his mobile phone. They then left without returning the phone.

There is no connection between this incident and the one dealt with by the courts last month, though information may have come from someone involved in that case to the attention of investigating magistrate, Isabelle Panou.

On Friday, Panou ordered the two officers to be brought to her office. After questioning, they were taken to Forest/Vorst prison and are due to appear in court tomorrow, when it will be decided if their detention is to be prolonged.

Last month, nine railway police officers were given sentences ranging from a 160-hour work orders to 40 months in prison for mishandling prisoners in and around Brussels South station. Two others were found guilty but received no sentence, and two more were acquitted. The officers had been turned in by colleagues.

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