A 14-year-old boy in Braine-le-Comte was taken into custody by police after a fight in the school playground. The young Muslim claims he was the victim of racist taunts and hit the other teenager involved in response. The incident occurred during the lunch break on Thursday and police arrested the boy at 6:40 am the next day. The boy’s parents were not allowed to accompany him to the station and he was kept until 1 pm. Although the arrest was legal, a lawyer for the family said it was unusual for a minor to be arrested and suggested summonsing him to appear with his parents would have been a more common procedure. The parents of the boy hit did not expect the case to have such consequences.
In Braine-le-Comte, a 14-year-old minor was taken away on Friday in the early hours of the morning by the police for having fought in the playground. The young man of Muslim faith claims to have been subjected to provocations of a racist nature. With a punch, he hits the nose of the teenager who manhandles him.
The facts happened during the recess of noon, this Thursday. Friday morning, at 6:40 a.m., two police officers come to arrest the young man. “They said he was deprived of liberty for a fight that took place the day before at school“, says his mother. “JI could not accompany him. They told me it was useless, that I couldn’t go with them in the van.”
The young man stayed until 1 p.m. at the police station where he was interviewed and photographed. The parents say they understand the process initiated after the complaint was filed by the person who received the punch, but they denounce the arrest itself. “We didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt. There was no presumption of innocence. We came looking for him like a thug, a criminal“, indignant his mother.
Michael Donantangelo is a criminal lawyer. He confirms that this arrest “is legal“, “but I have to admit it’s quite surprising for a 14 year old minor“. “It’s still a bit strong. Usually, a summons is sent so that the minor appears with his parents. There, he has the right to be assisted by a lawyer, but here, it is quite surprising.”
The lawyer adds that this measure “was perhaps for a legitimate purpose of education as such, but sometimes it can have perverse effects and lead to trauma for the minor.“
Contacted by RTL info, the parents of the young man who received the blows say they are surprised by the extent of this case following their complaint. They had not imagined that an arrest was possible.
This case raises important questions about the treatment of minors in the justice system. While the arrest of the 14-year-old was deemed legal, it is still concerning that a child was taken away from their home in the early morning hours for a schoolyard fight. It is important to consider the potential trauma that could result from such an experience, and to question whether such measures are truly necessary for the education and rehabilitation of minors. We can only hope that this situation prompts reflection and reconsideration of the ways in which we approach juvenile justice.