A senior Belgian judge has written a dramatic letter that is causing international outrage. He warns of a collapse of the rule of law, reports the German magazine Der Spiegel.
Allowing a container to pass through without inspection can earn a port worker, a policewoman or a customs officer up to 100,000 euros; handing over a bag, 50,000 or more. These are the salary figures from the underworld, presented by a man who seems to be fighting against them more and more in vain.
In a letter that has caused a stir, a Belgian judge from the city of Antwerp publicly warns about the consequences of drug crime in his country and warns the government about the risk of a collapse of order. Belgium, mainly because of the port of Antwerp, has for years been considered the gateway to Europe for international drug gangs. Cocaine in particular arrives here.
“Despite all the efforts of the police and the judiciary, we are no longer able to protect our citizens and ourselves,” the judge writes. “I myself spent four months in a protected house.” He continues: “Vast mafia structures have taken root and have become a parallel power, which challenges not only the police, but also the judiciary.”
The letter was published anonymously, for obvious reasons, but on a website of the Belgian justice system. The author is said to be one of 17 investigative judges in Antwerp who can approve wiretapping and other investigative methods for the prosecution. International media such as the Financial Times have also reported on the case.
Rampant crime threatens not only his job, but the whole of Belgian society. If justice stops functioning, this is a dangerous attack on democracy. “Are we turning into a narco-state?” asks the judge and replies: “According to our drug commissioner, this development has begun. My colleagues and I share this feeling.”
“A narco-state is characterized by an illegal economy, corruption and violence” – all three of these elements, he said, are already present in Belgium.