A collective of petitioners describes how violence is exploding in the northern district of Brussels, to the point of making life hell for residents, prostitutes and social workers. What solutions to put in place?
Sex workers (TDS), residents, shopkeepers, social workers in the sector have suffered for several years decline of the northern district in Brussels. Public space is flooded with to reject that, day and night, dirty the pavements. The streets are infected urination desert where the smell of urine and human defecation are the daily destiny of the people of the neighborhood.
The verbal and physical abuse they are omnipresent.
Fear in the belly
Concretely, violent clashes take place every evening under the windows of the inhabitants (stabs, beatings, etc.), TDS customers or bystanders are robbed. People force the doors of buildings to sleep there or to relieve themselves, insults and intimidation are the order of the day. Result a deserted neighborhood of passing human presencewith no more social life, which would risk curbing incivility, violence and crime.
A TDS testifies: “A man, a client certainly, a little old, he was chased by young people to steal it. I let him in but they told me they would destroy everything in my square if I didn’t open. They came back, they took all of his money. I stashed his phone in my shoe … and they’re gone, he’ll never come back to the neighborhood again. “
Many TDS want leave the neighborhood, working the fear in the belly. Every week a girl is attacked, good customers flee the neighborhood when pseudo-customers extort and recover the money for the service, otherwise the girl will be beaten.
Another testimony from TDS: “A customer walked into my square, two men ran, forced open the door and tore the back pocket of their pants to rip off his wallet. This is the second time I’ve changed the lock on the front door. They force her to come and shoot herself in the hall. I live above. The other day I went to eat at a friend’s house, I had to sleep at her house because no taxi wanted to pass on the rue Linne at this time. ”
Inertia of public authorities
The inhabitants live in insecurity and are afraid of meeting criminal gangs who have a shop window and try to have a monopoly on the district. Neighbors protest against the inaction of public authorities. Associations experience insecurity in street work during the day and in the evening.
We do not escape the threat of groups of drug dealers, the aggression of some criminals or even attempts at theft. We fear becoming collateral victims of a settling of scores
So are our social workers mis is in danger when they go to the square. We do not escape the threat of groups of drug dealers, the aggression of some criminals or even attempts at theft. We fear becoming collateral victims of a settling of scores. Associations have no choice but to endure the presence of consumers who take refuge at the doors of non-profit organizations, with the risk of frightening their public.
Impunity is law and gives all the power to the criminal world to anchor itself in the district.
The deterioration of living conditions …
It is clear that the deterioration of the neighborhood has existed for several years. But following the health crisis, which generated a reduction of social control through teleworkingBy stopping the sex trade in the neighborhood, drug gangs have established themselves using threats and racketeering as a hold on residents and prostitutes.
We see a change in dealers’ heads, hash sellers have given way to crack sales. Fights take place on the territory every week. Thefts and attacks have increased.
L’helplessness of the police force in the face of such crimes it is an unfortunate observation. This does not have sufficient means to have a convincing result in terms of action. Once arrested, it is other drug dealers who settle down or even the same person who knows they are not at risk of being prosecuted. In fact, in the context of drug cases, the prosecution does not pursue small gangs of drug dealers but tries to get more macro results.
Despite the resumption of sex work and the resumption of work in the presence by the associations, the situation continues to worsen.
… with impunity
All the actors in the neighborhood (residents, prostitutes, associations, local police, etc.) make the same observation: the multiplication of crimes and incivility testifies to a significant change in the environmental landscape of the neighborhood. This feeling of powerlessness expressed by the workers as well as by the inhabitants is all the more acute the more the theater of business and multi-day attacks follow one another a few meters from a police station.
I don’t understand why nobody does anything. It is getting worse and worse and nobody cares. The police tell us “we can’t do anything, the problem is political, it comes from above” …
In the exchanges between the players on the field, the questions are the same. “What can we do? Will this change? If the police are already defenseless, how can we act at our level?”
A resident tells us: I don’t understand why nobody does anything. He is getting worse and no one cares. The police tell us “we can’t do anything, the problem is political, it comes from above”… Last time I was told that you just have to move. But I’ve been here for 20 years, it’s my neighborhood, it’s not up to me to leave. “
Marginalized populations
The problem is broader and embraces phenomena of displacement of precarious populations and the marginalized who no longer have a place to survive. We see that groups of drug addicts expelled from other neighborhoods, from certain parks, arrive in the neighborhood because the drug dealers take over the premises.
The sleep merchants generate situations of extreme vulnerability. Leaving vulnerable people is intolerable. But when will such a decline end? What perspectives in the field of the possible see a change, an improvement so that everyone can orient themselves?
Several actions are possible, but as for the rpolitical responsibility to never leave this abandoned neighborhood ? We are concerned about political inertia. Everything is lack of means, but is this reason enough not to act? It will take another murder like that ofEunice Osayada in 2018 for the awakening of the authorities?
In our view, the actions must take place at different levels. Municipalities must assume their responsibilities and act quickly to give this neighborhood a breathing space and safety.
In a desire for improvement and change, we ask a presence of police on foot in the neighborhood whose mission is to be visible, to create a bond with the inhabitants and prostitutes. The islanders can be the link between the people of the neighborhood. It seems essential to us to put in place a strengthening of the means of the police.
So is the fight against insecurity reinvest public space improving lighting and roads, creating urban green spaces, developing buildings. Making the neighborhood welcoming will allow residents to reinvest their public space.
Finally, it is strengthen field teams and associative actors enabling risk reduction and social support for people in need.
To stop the decline of the northern district of Brussels, it is urgent to act and not wait any longer for the worst to awaken.
On the initiative of Espace P and Utsopi
Co-signatories:
UTOPIA_BXL
The Brussels Socio-Political Coordination Council (CBCS)
ESWA
aka ASBL
The Forum – Brussels against inequalities
World Doctor Belgium
ASBL Sida-IST Charleroi-Mons
Federation of Social Service Centers (FDSS)
OH YEAH
Way of life
DUNE ASBL
CPF Health Group Josaphat
Pascale Jamoulle – Anthropologist
FLUX shower and the Syndicate of Immense
Brussels South-East Social Services Center Asbl
Biloba
ASBL plural genders
Neighborhood social services 1030
PCS Botanica / Saint-Josse
HEALTH CASAF / SYNER
Friends to accompany
Protestant Social Center asbl – Protestant Social Center vzw
The switch
Le Grain ASBL
The ASBL Lama Project
ASBL coffee
The title is from the editorial staff. Original title: “North district of Brussels, a place without a future?”
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