Two complaints a day in Brussels for street harassment

Brussels police write up an average of two fines a day for verbal abuse, mostly targeted at women and gay people. Verbal abuse, such as cat- or name-calling, is prohibited in the capital since a law against street harassment was passed earlier this year.

"We forward all complaints to the prosecutor, but perpetrators often go unpunished for lack of evidence," commissioner Christian De Coninck told Het Laatste Nieuws. "An officer can only take action immediately if he happens to overhear something, which has happened 18 times over the past eight months.” The perpetrators were given a so-called GAS fine of between €50 and €250.

The police and Brussels-City mayor Yvan Mayeur urge victims of harassment to always file a complaint. "The more insight we get into how, where and when this is happening, the better we can tackle the issue,” said De Coninck. “Everyone should feel safe on our sidewalks.”