Prosecutor to review bullying claims after suicide
The Ghent prosecutor's office is reopening the investigation into two complaints of harassment in the workplace by a man who last week committed suicide, citing his suffering as the reason for his act.
Marcus Van den Abeele, 42, worked for Wegmarkeringen De Groote in Deinze, a company that carries out roadway markings and striping. According to his mother, he had persistently complained of bullying at work, which involved being sprayed with paint and being physically assaulted. Despite complaints to management, no action was taken. Last week the company said it had behaved correctly.
Van de Abeele also made at least two official complaints to police in the past year, which were recorded but later dropped. The prosecutor will now re- open the files to determine if the original decision needs to be reviewed. While a verdict of not guilty in a trial protects an accused person from further proceedings, the dropping of charges by magistrates - mainly a decision made on the basis of the difficulty of proceeding compared to the severity of the crime - can always be reversed and proceedings restarted.
