In response to the attacks in Brussels on 22 March 2016, the Commission for financial assistance to victims of acts of deliberate violence and occasional rescuers has established a single point of contact for the victims of terrorist acts.

Contact is easy:

Since 22 March, the Commission for financial assistance to victims:

  • has submitted 152 applications for financial assistance;
  • has received about 200 telephone calls (since 20 April)
  • and about 450 e-mails (since 18 April).

The Commission treats all applications of the victims of terrorist attacks as soon as possible.

Three months after the attacks, the first decisions on emergency assistance were officially notified to the victims concerned and the first payments were made (38 decisions). Moreover, the files are investigated further pursuant to the applicable legislation and the different steps in the procedure.

Much attention has been given to the first contacts. Alongside, serene and humane support is offered to the victims of the attacks and their relatives, who are confronted with heavy administrative procedures and various questions.

Unfortunately, these questions often remain unanswered with regard to the insurance reimbursement.

These worries come on top of all the grief and pain, while they are already hard to handle in themselves.  Support and information are essential. Therefore, a single point of contact is definitely the right solution to ensure good-quality contact. 
We want to carry this responsibility as well as possible.

Eased conditions in response to the attacks in Brussels

Certain conditions have been eased or even abolished when assistance is requested for terrorist acts.  In this specific context, it is not necessary to deposit a complaint or to apply for civil party status first.

The applications of the victims are examined case-by-case. There are no requests for invoices of the treatment of the victims who had to stay in hospital for several days or who are still staying in hospital. However, the Commission will check whether the petitioners are part of the victims and whether they have suffered damage due to the attacks.

The victim should not be able to receive sufficient compensation for his damage in any other way. The contribution of the State is subsidiary. Therefore, the Commission takes into account:

  • the solvency and the potential instalments of the aggressor;
  • the contribution of the health insurance fund or the work accident insurance institution;
  • a possible compensation in the framework of a private insurance.

The Commission can grant equitable assistance, but does not guarantee a full compensation.

Amounts

In response to the attacks, the Commission for Justice adopted a draft law on 11 May 2016 amending the law of 1 August 1985 concerning fiscal and other provisions with regard to the assistance to victims of deliberate acts of violence. The changes aim to double the ceilings for both the main assistance and the emergency assistance and to ease the conditions for the assistance to the most seriously affected victims: people who have suffered severe burns or serious injuries, etc.

The law of 1985 will be amended and will apply to the applications that have already been submitted. In summary:

  1. the ceilings for the financial assistance will be doubled;
  2. certain conditions are eased or even abolished when assistance is requested for terrorist acts.  The prerequisite to apply for civil party status is useless in the framework of the attacks in Brussels;
  3. the Belgian victims of terrorist acts in a country that does not dispose of any regulations for this type of events, can also rely on the Commission for financial assistance to victims.

Assistance is only granted when the damage amounts to more than 500 euro.
The Commission establishes the modalities for awarding the assistance. When the victim or his or her relative is a minor, the Commission can order that (part of) the awarded assistance is blocked in a savings account. This savings account, opened in the name of the child, will become available as soon as the child attains the age of majority.

You can fill in a form and send it by registered mail to:

Commissie voor financiële hulp aan slachtoffers van opzettelijke gewelddaden en aan de occasionele redders
C/O FOD Justitie
Waterloolaan 115
B – 1000 Brussels

Contact person:

  • Olivier Lauwers
    Eversstraat 2-8
    B – 1000 Brussels
    terrorvictims@just.fgov.be
    Mobile phone: 0032 471 123 124 (telephone only, no messages)

Victim support

The services of the justice centres offering victim support provide the victims and their relatives with specific information concerning their file, the ongoing judicial proceedings and their rights in this framework, assist them and, if necessary, refer them to the relevant instances during these proceedings.

More information and the contact details of the services offering victim support are available on www.justitiehuizen.be/slachtoffer