Verbatim report of proceedings

Tuesday, 20 October 2020 - Brussels

Police brutality within the EU (debate)

  Sophia in ‘t Veld, on behalf of the Renew Group. – Madam President, first of all, I would like to start by expressing my sympathy for the widow, Mrs Chovancova, and her little girl, because it’s quite horrible that she was forced to publish the video of the violent death of her husband.

As to excessive police violence, incidents will always occur but what sets apart democratic rule of law from dictatorships, for example, is that there is a follow—up, that there is no impunity for excessive police violence. Here there is a big question mark over this case. The question is why was there no investigation? Why did we have to wait for the video to be published before the Belgian authorities started to move? And when are we actually going to get responses to these questions? This is not just a Belgian matter or a Slovak matter, because it concerns a Slovak citizen. It is very much a European matter because if one national system doesn’t function then the whole chain is broken.

In the context of police and justice cooperation, we have to be able to rely on each other and to trust each other, and here there is clearly an issue and we need answers. That is also why the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group is taking up the issue and this week we’re going to have a hearing. We will also be hearing Ms De Bolle, who is the head of Europol, but also the head of police in Belgium at the time.

Finally, with regard to the broader issue of excess of police violence and racism, which has also been addressed by the Commissioner, I would like to repeat the call for a European police code of ethics, but also, I think, for training because in this case we are still waiting for the answers and the motives behind what happened, but I think many police people will also confirm that there are lots of police people who are just not adequately equipped for this kind of situation.

So I hope we get answers because it’s in the European interest.