After the days-long torture of a detainee in the prison in the Begijnenstraat in Antwerp, Van Tigchelt was referred to the Justice Committee by N-VA MP Sophie De Wit. The questions from the committee members, including Marijke Dillen (Vlaams Belang), were mainly about how the minister will solve problems such as overcrowding and staff shortages.
“The situation today is worse than ever. There are more than 12,000 prisoners, there are strikes… The problem has also been raised several times,” said Sophie De Wit (N-VA). “I cannot believe that no one noticed those horrific tortures. The unions blame it on overpopulation, and you, Mr. Minister, call that a premature conclusion. What other conclusion can we draw? There are six men in a cell for three and they torture someone without anyone noticing. What else could it be? So what is the reason for this?”
The victim’s condition is still precarious
Van Tigchelt started with an update on the victim’s condition. “He is still precarious due to the risk of infection from the burns he suffered.” The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office has requested an investigating judge, the minister said. The detainee’s five cellmates were arrested and detained, three for attempted murder and rape with aggravating circumstances of torture, the two others for culpable negligence. The prison director herself found the detainee, Van Tigchelt added.
“Our thoughts go out to the victim and his family, but also to the staff members in prison,” the minister said. The prison system has also started an internal investigation to determine whether all procedures were followed.
Sort out the case
Van Tigchelt said in Parliament that he hopes that the matter will be investigated to the bone. “That is what one can expect from a minister. What you will not hear from me is that I am already drawing conclusions or making strong statements. I’ll wait for the investigation. This must be done in all seriousness.”
There was a lot of disbelief in the House, as with De Wit, about the fact that Van Tigchelt sees no causal link between the overcrowding in the prisons and what happened. “Overcrowding is not a new problem, indeed, new capacity has been created,” he defended himself. “1,200 places have been added, but the influx into prisons has increased. Overcrowding is 15 percent, a few years ago it was 24 percent. So it has not increased, I contradict that.”
Historical problem
New places of detention are being created, he emphasized. “And as far as staff is concerned: people have been recruited and a measure has been taken to accelerate the recruitment of staff. Staff have been added to the prisons. You know the policy of this government. That is one that revolves around the ambition to carry out all punishments. We want to reserve prison time for people who really belong there. The ambition also remains to have more detention houses.”
Van Tigchelt further listed how he tries to tackle the problems in prisons. “The shortage of space in prisons was a historic problem. Much has been invested in expanding capacity over the last ten to fifteen years, but we are still far from there. Overcrowding is still far too high. I therefore understand all the concerns of management, unions and prison staff. Not to mention the fate that detainees sometimes have to suffer.” The minister said he would continue to speak with the unions. “The consultation was constructive and there is appreciation from the trade unions for our efforts. But they first want to see the effect of our measures. They were certainly hoping for more to solve the immediate problems, but unfortunately I don’t have a magic wand to solve everything immediately.”
Van Tigchelt reiterated that he is taking measures and that, among other things, work was being done to increase the capacity in the prisons. “But unfortunately we have no influence on the influx. And the capacity problems do not only exist within the prison walls. This in turn is at the expense of the internees who sometimes end up in prisons because there is no room for them in healthcare.”
“No solution heard”
The answers did not please the committee members too much, as was evident from their response. The minister received criticism from many quarters. “Since the beginning of the legislature, and actually for more than thirty years, prisons have been neglected,” said Marijke Dillen (Vlaams Belang). “Instead of using tough language in the press, it would be better to actually solve the prison problem. I have not heard a solution from you, not for the overcrowding and not for the working conditions.” Vlaams Belang is therefore submitting a motion of no confidence.
Committee member De Wit (N-VA) says he does not know what to say. “I still ask myself a lot of questions. We don’t need additional research to know that something is wrong, do we? When I hear you list everything you do, I almost think there can’t be a problem. But there is one, and a big one. The alarm bells have been sounding for months. But you are not looking for extra places, you are simply extending the prison leave. Better open the prison gates. You say you have provided 1,200 extra places, but that is not entirely true. And besides, it’s not enough. You, Mr. Van Tigchelt, have been working behind the scenes for years. But you don’t come up with solutions. What you are doing is not enough. I am therefore submitting a motion and our group is asking for the minister’s resignation.”