An Antwerp examining magistrate has now been living in hiding for several weeks following threats from gangsters linked to the drug trade. The news is reported by several Flemish newspapers this morning and has been confirmed by the Antwerp public prosecutor's office. ‘We feel unsafe in our job,’ says Philippe Van Linthout of the Association of Examining Magistrates.
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‘Examining magistrate living in hiding after threats from drug traffickers’
Colin Clapson
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For several weeks now, an Antwerp examining magistrate has been forced to live in hiding in a safehouse. The judge is said to have received serious threats from people linked to the drug trade. This is the first time this happens in Belgium. Facing earlier threats, magistrates and employees of the public prosecutor's office were provided with police protection.
The Association of Examining Magistrates is sounding the alarm. ‘The more violent course adopted by organised crime is the topic of conversation in the corridors,’ says Philippe Van Linthout, the president of the Association of Examining Magistrates.
‘Colleagues feel unsafe in their own offices. They see their names popping up in drug files, after their number plate details and other private data are found in criminals’ mobiles,’ says Mr Van Linthout.
Numerous cell phones in the cells
The examining magistrates are demanding that Belgium’s next government responds with action and cash. ‘Our own buildings are a disaster: they are old and not properly secured. Moreover, prisons are overcrowded and we cannot lock up the people who belong there. With regard to information these buildings are also leaky as a sieve if you see how many mobile phones are circulating there. Inmates can remain criminally active from their cell and thus threaten us too,’ says Mr Van Linthout.
'It should never be part of the job'
‘Our job is a vocation. As examining magistrates, we are available day and night. We need better support and should be able to do our work without fear for ourselves and our families. Otherwise, the judiciary is being undermined,’ Mr Van Linthout warns.
Antwerp prosecutor Franky De Keyzer has now also responded to the reports. He supports the examining magistrates’ appeal. ‘It is high time Belgium does more to protect our magistrates and offer better security. Every day they dedicate themselves to protecting our society and they clearly do not do this without risk,’ he says.
‘In recent years, not in the least because of our ongoing fight against organised crime, we have seen increased aggression directed at our people. This has been too easily ignored until now. It should never be taken for granted or considered part of the job. It is high time something is done,’ concludes the Antwerp prosecutor.
What does an examining magistrate do?
Examining magistrates seek to establish the truth in criminal cases. They are independent and impartial. They are not part of the police or the public prosecutor's office. They can question suspects, order house searches or DNA analyses, have telephones tapped and appoint experts.
Suspects are arraigned before the examining magistrate in person. If necessary, as part of the investigation, the examining magistrate can arrest people and deprive them of their liberty.
When the examining magistrate has completed his investigation, he or she will hand the file to the public prosecutor, who is in charge of the public prosecutor's office. A court will then decide whether a suspect must appear in court and face prosecution.