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Monnaie driver free on condition he gets help
The driver who hit three pedestrians on Sunday near Place de la Monnaie in Brussels was released on condition that he undergoes psychiatric treatment, the investigating judge ruled on Monday.
The offender was driving along Rue de l'Ecuyer when he ran into three pedestrians crossing the street near the ice skating rink at Monnaie. The three were slightly injured. The driver, a 58-year-old man, continued to drive away but was stopped shortly thereafter.
The Brussels public prosecutor had requested his arrest on the grounds of attempted homicide and illegal possession of weapons, as the prosecutor considers the offender’s vehicle as a weapon.
The investigating judge ruled that the man needs psychiatric care. He was released on condition that he gets treatment, but will meanwhile be kept under close observation.
Comments
So his licence wasn't revoked? No prosecution for intentionally mowing down pedestrians who had the nerve to delay him. No prosecution for leaving the scene of an intentional "accident"? Not to mention no revelation of the identity of this clearly dangerous individual. Makes one wonder.....
Unbelievable but sadly typical for this country.
Totally agree with Anon2. Regardless if the man needs psychiatric help, his license should be revoked for at least a year and prosecution for leaving the scene of a crime should not be forgotten. As usual, Belgium loves to have laws but they never impose them. There is always a way out.
Do not agree with the two above, who seemingly have nothing else to do but argue a case they do nothing about (given the limited legal information published). I can recall quite a number of similar incidents in the UK, where people did definitely not receive appropriate punishment.
If this man has a serious psychiatric illness and sounds like he does, he would have deliberately in a sane way dime this. Unless you have dealt with some in in a similar situation don't judge, fortunately no one was badly hurt by the sounds of. If he was drink driving or with out due care I agree throw the book at them, but in this case it seems clear the guy is ILL!
Ophs typo would he have in a sane way deliberately done this? I suspect not
So, he's nuts? Well, that's OK then.......
None of us have the facts and can therefore not accurately assess the situation. Nevertheless, it does seem odd that he did not have his driving license revoked (permanently, until he can prove he is fit to drive), and have his car impounded, pending professional psychological assessment. Does the judge not have some responsibility for the safety of the public? Surely if he is not shown to be mentally impaired, then the case should be reopened and criminal prosecution should follow.
His licence was immediately withdrawn. It can't be revoked without a trial. He has been charged, so there will be a trial. I'm sure even the most hard-line of the people commenting would at least allow the man his day in court. As for his identity, why would any of you need to know?