The courtroom on rue de Nimy in Mons is used for a hearing regarding detainees every two weeks. However, due to its poor acoustics and history of housing criminals dating back to the 1800s, it’s difficult for the public to understand what’s being said. This proved to be especially challenging during a recent hearing when a detainee named Mohamed grew agitated and started making noise. Mohamed had received a sentence of 42 months for theft with violence and six months for being illegally present in Belgium. His friend Ramzi received a two-year prison sentence for similar crimes. The duo had committed around 20 thefts, including ones during popular festivities, where they stole wallets and attempted to use bank cards. They also assaulted elderly people and even stole from an American. They claimed to have found the stolen items on the ground, but this excuse didn’t work, and they were both sentenced. They have one month to appeal the verdict.
The hearing devoted to detainees, which takes place every fortnight on Wednesday followingnoons at the courthouse on rue de Nimy in Mons, takes place in the former assize court. Normally, it is very difficult to understand the exchanges between the judicial actors from the public, as the acoustics are bad in this courtroom which has seen criminals pass through it since the second half of the 19th century. When a defendant gets excited to bang the bars of his cell, it is even almost impossible.
On Wednesday, we heard loud noises and cries, especially from the police, who were having a hard time controlling a detainee. We might easily guess that something was happening on the other side of the wall. It was Mohamed, who expressed his dissatisfaction following the two sentences pronounced once morest him, 42 months for a series of thefts with violence, and six months for illegal presence on Belgian territory. His friend Ramzi is sentenced to two years in prison.
Wallet theft
Mohamed, 35, and Ramzi, 32, were prosecuted in court for around twenty thefts, including several thefts with violence, committed in particular during the Ducasse de Mons and the Dour festival. They stole wallets and tried to steal money with the stolen bank cards. As many people choose their date of birth as a code, all they had to do was look at the identity cards.
On May 14, 2022, the duo was arrested by the police. When they were not acting during popular festivities, the two men assaulted elderly people, such as Odile, 68, or Paul, 71. Mohamed also stole the personal belongings of an American. During his arrest, the police found a dollar bill.
Both men told officers they found numerous items on the floor. “It’s still crazy everything that we find in the pedestrian area” had quipped the deputy public prosecutor during the trial. A lawyer from Mons had told him that there was a bit of everything on the streets the day following the ducasse… However, not so many wallets!
The two men have one month to appeal.
In conclusion, the hearing on detainees in Mons sheds light on the struggles faced by both the detainees and the judicial actors involved. This particular hearing was marked by the outburst of a detainee unhappy with his sentencing. The case involved two men who had committed multiple thefts, including ones with violence, during popular festivals and on the streets of Mons. The hearing takes place in an old courtroom with poor acoustics, making it difficult for the public to fully understand the proceedings. In the end, the two men have one month to appeal their sentences. This hearing serves as a reminder of the importance of a fair judicial system and the ongoing efforts needed to ensure justice for all.
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