Today the sorrow remains present, immense “his room remained with us as it was with his books, the objects brought back from his trip […] I will remain in need of Aline forever, like a bird that has lost its wings”. But there are also many questions that remain unanswered regarding the causes of all that has happened.
The security system in Belgium not up to the task
Both Pierre Bastin and his son Eric believe that the security system in Belgium has failed, “despite high taxation, the authorities have not been up to it” will point out Eric Bastin, also very critical of the way the victims were treated in Belgium. The treatment reserved for Osama Atar, the sponsor of the attacks in Paris and Brussels, during his return to Belgium is for him a black hole in the investigation. Arrested and detained in Iraq, the Americans had warned Belgium of his dangerousness, “Despite this, some political figures campaigned for his release in Iraq? And following his return to our country, he was able to visit his cousins, the El Bakraoui brothers, in prison without any problem, to radicalize them?”.
This trial is the last opportunity to see clearly
All of this raises questions, he said, before adding that Osama Atar was subsequently able to return to the combat zones thanks to a passport issued by Belgium, while our authorities had undertaken that he would not leave the country. For the parents of Aline, murdered at the Maelbeek metro by Khalid El Bakraoui, “This trial is the last opportunity to ask these questions and try to obtain answers”.
