The incident took place in a cell of the police station located at Charleroi airport, where the detainee appeared extremely agitated.
The intervention quickly went awry, leading to the passenger’s cardiac arrest. In spite of the circumstances, the images depict the police officers laughing, dancing, and in one case, giving a Nazi salute.
Civil party lawyer Ann Van de Steen said one of the police officers had pressed his full weight against the victim’s ribcage.
In total, police held the man down for 18 minutes. Video footage of the incident revealed officers making comments such as “The man’s death would not be a loss for society.”
Victim’s widow wants the truth
The victim’s name was Jozef Chovanec, an entrepreneur who regularly commuted between Slovakia and Belgium for years.
His relatives said they could not understand his state of confusion and psychosis during his arrest, when he appeared unable to locate his boarding documents.
The autopsy showed that Chovanec was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Two years later, Chovanec’s wife is still appealing for the investigation to advance. Van de Steen said the widow had seen the images and wanted to know the truth.
Management at Charleroi airport condemned the inappropriate acts after viewing the images published in the press. The legal department is set to appoint a lawyer for the case.
