The Brussels Prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into an incident last Friday in which a black woman was forcibly restrained by Securail railway security staff on a platform at Brussels North Station. Footage of the incident has been widely circulated on social media. The investigation is to find out exactly what happened.
Prosecutor’s office opens investigation into incident in which rail security staff forcibly restrained black women
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The incident happened last Friday (8 August) at around 2pm. Footage posted on social media shows a woman being restrained on the ground by Securail security staff. The incident began with a discussion about the validity of tickets.
Both the woman and the one Securail security guards allegedly threw punches, the prosecutor’s office says. Two assault and battery investigations have been opened. The prosecutor’s office is now trying to find out the exact circumstances surrounding the incident by examining CCTV footage, interviewing those involved and talking to witnesses.
The Belgian rail company NMBS says that it has launched an internal investigation into the incident. The security guards involved have been removed from active duties for the time being.
Family accuses rail security staff of “Unjustifiable racist violence”
In a statement published on the social media platform Instagram the woman’s family says "We wanted to buy tickets before we got on the train, but the machines weren’t working. We reported the problem to the guard at around 2:01pm and said that we would buy our tickets on bord the train. Visibly annoyed he said, ‘It’s always the same with you lot’. He then called security straight away”.
The family describe the incident as being “abuse, humiliation and abuse of power by those that are meant to protect us. We are all deeply shocked, hurt and traumatised but the unjustifiable and racist violence on the part of the security guards”.
A demonstration is planned for Friday outside Brussels Central railway station.