A scout leader in front of the Dinant criminal court. This leader is being prosecuted for involuntary assault and battery and for failure to assist a person in danger. The facts happened on July 23, 2020 during a camp in Rochefort. That day a 14-year-old boy scout became a quadriplegic. He broke his 6th cervical while diving into a stream during a game.
A challenge launched by the scout leader: do a flat competition in a stream whose water level was regarding 40 cm. To earn the points, the scouts had to jump from a small pontoon 40 cm from the water level. During previous jumps, scouts had already injured their knees, hips or even their chins… Some had expressed reluctance, the leader had asked them to stop “being sissy”. After his jump, the victim did not move. It was another scout who pulled his head out of the water. According to witnesses, the chief remained in his chair and only got up late to take care of the victim. Today the teenager is completely paralyzed.
The Namur public prosecutor’s office believes that the chief had the opportunity to avoid the accident. Scouts had complained and the game was not at all in the scout philosophy. He also had the will not to act, said the prosecution since he took time to react. The scout leader prosecuted recognizes the involuntary blows and injuries but not the failure to assist a person in danger. If he was slow to react, it was because he first thought it was a joke. The Namur prosecutor’s office requested a work sentence of 80 to 100 hours. On the defense side, we are asking for a suspension of the ruling. The judgment is expected on April 28.
