Youngsters under the age of 16 risk arrest if they go out after 7pm without being accompanied by a parent or guardian in large parts of Cureghem (Anderlecht) on New Year's Eve. The municipal authorities say their decision should be seen as a signal to parents. Police chief Jurgen De Landsheer warns: ‘Children under 16 should not walk the streets alone on New Year's Eve.’
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Curfew for under-16s in Cureghem (Anderlecht) on New Year's Eve
Colin Clapson
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The decision was taken following earlier incidents in the district, where police were attacked with fireworks and cars were burned last year.
‘This is not a house arrest, as in Antwerp,’ mayor Fabrice Cumps stresses. In Antwerp, the measure targets youngsters previously involved in trouble. In Anderlecht, these youngsters too warrant attention: ‘We have written to the parents of minors arrested in the past, but they will not be banned,’ says Mr Cumps.
Will other municipalities follow?
20 per cent of those arrested by the police on New Year's Eve in Cureghem last year were minors. That percentage is higher than in other neighbourhoods, says police chief Jurgen De Landsheer. That partly explains the need for the youth curfew.
Which municipalities will follow Anderlecht's example is still unclear. Vincent De Wolf, mayor of Etterbeek (Brussels), agrees with his colleague Cumps on youth safety: ‘Is it normal for minors to walk the streets after, say, 10pm? Especially when you know there coud be problems with fireworks and public order?’
Every mayor will decide what measures are proportionate based on incidents in recent years. In Etterbeek, for example, Mr De Wolf has not issued a general ban affecting minors, even though there were problems last year.