Racist attack is very different Abroad

The German / Malian Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana made an emotional statement two weeks ago in the European Parliament. “I saw nine officers harassing two blacks,” she said. She filmed the scene, after which the officers decided to search her. “They treated me demeaningly.”

Her testimony was warmly applauded by her colleagues. The woman also made a complaint. But the police and public prosecutor’s office say that the case is very different, writes Het Nieuwsblad.

A complaint has even been filed against her for defamation, says spokeswoman Audrey Dereymaeker of the Brussels North police zone. The report would also state that the woman was aggressive and had made threats to the officers. “She insulted officers and tried to prevent the control of possible suspects of a serious violence case,” police sources say to the newspaper.

Eritreans had crushed Moroccan

The officers involved themselves say that they had been looking for Eritreans who had previously knocked down and robbed a Moroccan with an iron rod at the station. “We got a call from a shopkeeper who testified against the Eritreans. They were at his door, he was afraid. When we arrived to check on those men, the MEP was there too. ”

“The woman was very stern right away. She started filming us, but especially the people we wanted to control. She called us – in German and French – thieves, scum and criminals. She also said that we had no right to control blacks. ”

Totally out of control

The situation got completely out of hand. “In that difficult station area there are many illegal immigrants, drunks and criminals. Because of the cry of the lady, the people started to troop and threaten us, ”said one of the agents. “Only after insisting did we get to see her papers and our female colleague – the rules prescribe it – was able to search her.”

The officer in the police station then asked to take the aggressive woman to the police station. “We took her arm, but given the gathering and noise, we had no choice but to let her go. Everything we claim here has been filmed by security cameras. We are sure of our case. ”

“Not being racist’

“We don’t understand the woman’s behavior. We have not been racist or violent in her approach. She is a member of the European Parliament, but she behaved like a small child who does not get his way, she has screwed things up. In the end, she threatened our team chief by saying that “this was his last day as an agent.” She would personally get him fired, she said. The controlled Eritreans remained calm all along. They had nothing to do with the case in the end. Happy.”

The libel suit will now be investigated by the courts, as will the MEP’s racism complaint, the public prosecutor’s office in Brussels said. “The agents in question will also be assigned – in accordance with the procedure – a lawyer to defend Madam’s charges,” said the police zone spokeswoman.

Alexis Deswaef, Herzberger-Fofana’s lawyer, reacts strongly to the new complaint. “That police report for defamation is not in line with reality, it is just false. But they do. We will prove in court that we are telling the truth. There is also a witness, a professor of human rights from Ghent University, who also endorses our view of the matter. ”

Vincent Gilles, president of the police union VSOA, is outraged that the entire European Parliament applauded when Herzberger-Fofana spoke about the officers. “Without any contradiction, she was allowed to accuse officers of racism. Consequently, if the investigation shows that the officers were in their right, I expect nothing less than apologies from all applauding parliamentarians to those agents. ”

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