An escaped inmate, a rape complaint and four injured guards: at Haren, unions point to overcrowding
The country's largest and most modern prison went through a turbulent week, with more inmates than places and many new staff.
Incidents piled up this week at Haren prison in Brussels. On Wednesday a female inmate filed a rape complaint against another inmate; according to La Dernière Heure it happened while she was working in the prison workshop. The prison service confirmed to Bruzz that a serious incident had occurred; a judicial investigation is under way in consultation with the Brussels prosecutor's office.
On Thursday four prison officers were injured when a newly arrived inmate with psychiatric problems lashed out during an examination by a doctor. The same day, at around 7.30 am, an inmate slipped out by following a fellow inmate who had been granted leave, under the supervision of an officer still in training, RTBF reported. He was arrested that afternoon in central Brussels. According to Bruzz, it is believed to be the first escape from Haren.
The unions say the events are unrelated but share a common background. Yasin Sarikaya of the Christian union told RTBF there are 1,443 inmates for 1,190 places and that staffing has not kept pace. Eddy De Smedt (VSOA) and Joachim Vermaeren (ACOD) told Bruzz about chronic staff shortages; Vermaeren wants an analysis of what went wrong in the escape. Earlier this week a convicted drug criminal also took the state to court over living conditions in the prison.