Violent attacks on youngsters near Jeux d'Hiver nightclub in Bois de la Cambre

Since the beginning of this year, the police have registered a dozen crimes in the vicinity of the Jeux d'Hiver nightclub in Bois de la Cambre.

"This figure is much lower than the reality," said police council member Solange Pitroipa (MR) when evoking city gang activity, reports La Capitale.

"Several violent incidents are regularly reported by young people. They are ambushed by city gangs and physically attacked. This has to stop," added the councillor in a debate with city mayor Philippe Close.

She cited the example of her own son. "He was attacked in the Bois de la Cambre when he, together with two friends, was on his way to Jeux d'Hiver. A guy who was probably on the lookout shouted something unintelligible, and my son and his friends were surrounded by 15 men. They were beaten up."

Close refuted her claims. "When analysing the statistics for the entire Bois de la Cambre and the adjacent streets, four brawls were reported in the first six months of the year, two robberies with violence and one theft from a vehicle with violence."

"The police services are not aware of the emergence of a city gang in the vicinity of the discotheque," he added.

Extra policing

Close promised to increase police patrols in and around the park, particularly at night and in the early morning, to prevent incidents and to intervene if necessary.

For Pitroipa, this was insufficient. "There are victims who do not dare to file a complaint, others who do not because they consider it pointless. If there is no crackdown, I fear a significant increase in crime rates in and around the park."